Armen Albert Torchyan

• MD, MPH
• Social Epidemiologist and Public Health Physician at King Saud University

Background We aim to study the “golden youth” hypothesis and examine the risky behaviors of adolescents with high socioeconomic position (SEP) in post-Communist countries of Europe (PCCE) in relation to income inequality. Methods Adolescents aged 11-15 years from 14 PCCE participating in the Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey 2017/18 w...

Background Adolescent bullying is a major public health concern in post-Communist countries of Europe (PCCE). We studied the impact of income inequality on the prevalence of and socioeconomic differences in bullying perpetration. Methods Nationally representative samples of adolescents aged 11–15 years from 14 PCCE participating in the Health Beha...

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated mortality is predominantly due to respiratory failure. However, risk factors and predictive models for disease progression in patients with COVID-19 are not consistent across the globe. In this study, we aimed to assess the risk factors associated with intensive care (ICU) admission and mo...

Purpose: In this study, we tested the "golden youth" hypothesis, which suggests that in Eastern Europe, affluent adolescents are at an increased risk of alcohol use. Also, we hypothesized that the relationship between high socioeconomic position (SEP) and more alcohol use is stronger in countries with wider income inequality. Methods: In total,...

Objective To study the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP) and adolescent substance use and explore the role of poor mental health in that relationship. Methods Adolescents aged 11–15 years participated in the Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey in Armenia. Robust Poisson regression and counterfactual mediation analysis we...

Bullying perpetration might be an alternative way of hierarchy formation among adolescents. It can potentially compensate for the negative health influences of low socioeconomic status (SES), rewarding this unwanted behavior. This study aimed to investigate the role of bullying perpetration in the relationship between SES and health among Armenian...

Background Bullying perpetration might be an alternative way of hierarchy formation among adolescents. It can potentially suppress the socioeconomic inequalities in health or might compensate for the negative health influences of low socioeconomic status (SES), rewarding this unwanted behavior. Methods A nationally representative sample of 3679 ad...

Introduction: The use of mobile phones by healthcare workers is a risk factor for microorganism transmission in healthcare settings. Pathogenic bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli that are known to cause nosocomial infection have been isolated from mobile phones. In this cro...

We aimed to study the hypothesis of socioeconomic equalization in health among Armenian adolescents participating in the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children 2013/14 survey. Classes corresponding to the ages 11, 13, and 15 were selected using a clustered sampling design. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used. In a nationally representa...

Background: Bloodstream infections are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Rapid detection of bloodstream infections is important in achieving better patient outcomes. Objective: Compare the time-to-detection (TTD) of the new BacT/Alert Virtuo and the BACTEC FX automated blood culture systems. Design: Prospective simulated c...

To study the varying presentations, risk factors, and treatment outcomes among patients with physician-diagnosed brucellosis. This retrospective analysis evaluated all cases of brucellosis reported at King Khalid University Hospital during 2003-2013. Data were retrieved from patient records and a laboratory information system. Descriptive statistic...

Background: Gender-related factors in asthma control should be considered in clinical consultations to substantially improve asthma control in women. Meanwhile, a limited number of studies have been reported on gender differences in factors related to asthma control, especially in Saudi Arabia. Objective: To study the potential gender difference...

Objective: Our aim was to assess the potential relationships among happiness, physical activity, and smoking initiation among undergraduate medical students in Saudi Arabia. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of randomly selected first- to fifth-year undergraduate medical students. Smoking initiation was defined as "ever trying smokin...

Objectives: To explore potential gender differences in the factors associated with asthma-specific quality of life (AQL). Methods: A cross-sectional study of consecutive series of adult patients attending primary care centers at three major hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was performed. AQL was measured using a standardized version of the AQL...

Objectives: Contamination of blood samples can lead to serious problems in patient management. The administration of unnecessary antibiotics, wastage of hospital resources, and risks to patient life are some of the known hazards. This study aimed to calculate the rate of blood culture contamination and associated factors at King Khalid University H...

Background/objectives: The objectives of our study were to determine possible factors associated with low vitamin D levels in medical students. Subjects/methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among 255 first- to fifth-year male undergraduate medical students of one of the major universities in Saudi Arabia. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(...

Background Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella species cause worldwide problems in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This study aimed to determine possible risk factors for infection or colonization with ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBLKp) during an outbreak in the NICU. Methods A retrospective cohort study was...

To evaluate the role of the rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT) and clinical decision in the diagnosis of H1N1. In November 2009, 290 suspected influenza patients were examined for H1N1 during an outbreak in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Nasopharyngeal swabs were analyzed using Directigen EZ Flu A+B kit. Monoclonal anti-human influenza A/B and reverse t...

Objective: Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children. Uncontrolled asthma may considerably decrease the quality of life for patients and their families. Our objective was to identify possible risk factors for poor asthma control in children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among children with asthma aged 4-11 years...