Hosein Oriad; Zafar Parisai; Roksana Estakhrian Haghigh; Mehdi Akbartabar Toori; Mohammad Fararouei
Volume 3, Issue 4 , October 2015, , Pages 133-138
Abstract
Background: Cancer is the third cause of death in Iran and its incidence is rising alarmingly. However, a study reported that Kohgilooyeh and Boyerahmad (a small province in Iran) seems to have substantially lower incidence rate of cancer compared to the other parts of the country. This study is conducted ...
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Background: Cancer is the third cause of death in Iran and its incidence is rising alarmingly. However, a study reported that Kohgilooyeh and Boyerahmad (a small province in Iran) seems to have substantially lower incidence rate of cancer compared to the other parts of the country. This study is conducted to investigate the epidemiological features of cancer regarding three key factors (sex, age and sites of cancer). Methods: The data collection strategy for this study is similar to the Iranian National Cancer Registry programme. Results: For the study period (2007-2009), 660 eligible cases of cancer were reported to Kohgilooyeh and Boyerahmad’s National Cancer Registry provincial office with average annual age standardized rate (ASR)=64.58 per 100000 (74.95 per 100000 and 45.85 per 100000 for men and women, respectively). The five leading primary cancer sites for both genders in K and B are skin, stomach, blood, bladder and breast. Regarding the sex specific incidence rates of cancer, the skin, stomach, bladder, blood and prostate in men and the skin, breast, stomach, blood and ovary in women are suggested to be the five leading sites of cancer. The trends of age-site specific incidence rates of skin cancer obtained in the current study are essentially similar to what is expected. Conclusion: Compared to the national and international figures, significant differences were found in the age-site specific rates of cancer in the province.
Fariba Moradi; Zohreh Balaghi; Hassan Joulaei; Najaf Zare; Samad Mohammadi; Mohsen Moghadami
Volume 2, Issue 4 , October 2014, , Pages 140-144
Abstract
Background: Prevention of unwanted pregnancy is a key strategy to improve the women’s health through spacing of birth and avoiding pregnancy at high-risk maternal ages. Unmet need by definition is the percentage of fecund married women who are not using contraceptives while they do not want to get ...
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Background: Prevention of unwanted pregnancy is a key strategy to improve the women’s health through spacing of birth and avoiding pregnancy at high-risk maternal ages. Unmet need by definition is the percentage of fecund married women who are not using contraceptives while they do not want to get pregnant. They do this due to unavailable quality services, limited choice of methods, lack of information, safety concerns or side-effects and partner disapproval. The present study aimed to assess the magnitude of unmet need for prevention of unwanted pregnancy in Shiraz.Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 2000 married women of childbearing age (10-49 years) were selected randomly in a survey in Shiraz. Data collection was done using a researcher-made questionnaire and the results were reported using descriptive statistical methods.Results: In the present study, 85.6% of the women used a contraceptive method. 58.7% of them used modern methods of contraception. Reported reasons for not using contraceptives included recent delivery (25%), intention to have more children (20.6%), lack of awareness about contraceptive methods or where such services were offered (6.3%) and irregular sexual intercourse with husband (4.5%). Interrupted intercourse ranked the highest among the methods used. Finally, the unmet need for prevention of unwanted pregnancy in this study was reported to be 4.3 percent.Conclusion: Women in Shiraz had a relatively lower level of unmet need. Counseling is recommended for higher risk women with unmet need in order to keep the descending trend of unmet need for prevention of unwanted pregnancy in Shiraz.
Zargham Heydari Gojani; Khalil Alimohammadzadeh; Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini; Nayeb Fadaei Dehcheshmeh
Volume 5, Issue 4 , October 2017, , Pages 153-157
Abstract
Background: Health literacy is a stronger predictor of health as compared to variables such as age, income, employment status, education level and race. In this regard, the World Health Organization has reported health literacy as one of the greatest determinants of health. The main purpose of this study ...
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Background: Health literacy is a stronger predictor of health as compared to variables such as age, income, employment status, education level and race. In this regard, the World Health Organization has reported health literacy as one of the greatest determinants of health. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of family physician in the health literacy of rural population in Farsan district.Methods: This is a descriptive-analytic study conducted in 2017 in Farsan. The sample size was equal to 450. 205 males and 245 females were selected as the sample, using stratified random sampling. A questionnaire was used to conduct the study (response rate 85.3). The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed. Data were analyzed using descriptive indexes such as percentage, mean and standard deviation, along with Spearman correlation coefficient and regression analysis.Results: The results of the study showed that 62.2% were female and 37.8% were male. 41.5% were in the age group of 20-29 years old and 7.3% were above 50 years old. Most participants in the study had a bachelor's degree (26.8%) with no history of disease (87.8%). There was a direct and significant relationship between family physician and health literacy (r = 0.355, p = 0.01). Emotional/informational support had a positive and significant effect on the increase in health literacy by 0.427 at a significant level of 0.05.Conclusion: Social support family physician of a community plays a major role in improving the health literacy of the people. Strengthening the communication and human skills of physicians and forming a sincere relationship with people's trust and confidence in the success of health programs; in particular, increasing the level of health literacy plays a crucial role.
Abdorreza Zarei; Mehdi Jahangiri; Alireza Koohpaei; Ahmad Zolfaghari; Abolfazl Barkhordari; Morteza Mortezavi Mehrizi
Abstract
Background: Crystalline silica is one of the compounds used in different industries. One of the industries in which this compound is used is the tile industry that can cause disabling lung disease. The purpose of this study was to reduce and eliminate workplace air pollutants by Local Exhaust Ventilation ...
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Background: Crystalline silica is one of the compounds used in different industries. One of the industries in which this compound is used is the tile industry that can cause disabling lung disease. The purpose of this study was to reduce and eliminate workplace air pollutants by Local Exhaust Ventilation system (LEVs). Methods: In this interventional-practical study, designing LEVs is accomplished according to the velocity pressure method balanced system design of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and is performed in spray dryer hall in a tile factory. The studied population consisted of 22 workers selected randomly. After implementation, the LEVs efficiency was evaluated, both in terms of occupational health and fluid mechanics. In order to evaluate the system from the point of view of occupational health, the measurement of Crystalline silica, inhalable and total dust was done before and after installation of LEVs by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 7601, 0600 and open face methods, respectively; also, to evaluate the system as to fluid mechanics, we measured the velocity and flow rate in some hoods and ducts. Results: Results showed that the obtained mean values of total, inhalable and silica dust after installation of LEVs had a statistically significant difference before the use of LEVs (p<0.05); also, the efficiency of removing the mentioned pollutants was 66, 94 and 96%, respectively. Conclusion: The performance of the ventilation system was in accordance with the values obtained in the design.
Aliyar Ahmadi
Volume 4, Issue 4 , October 2016, , Pages 167-173
Abstract
AbstractBackground: Prenatal care consists of a series of clinical visitsand services offered to pregnant women throughout the antepartumperiod. Despite advances in the extent of prenatal careuse in Iran, some women still avoid using these services. It is,therefore, very important to investigate the ...
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AbstractBackground: Prenatal care consists of a series of clinical visitsand services offered to pregnant women throughout the antepartumperiod. Despite advances in the extent of prenatal careuse in Iran, some women still avoid using these services. It is,therefore, very important to investigate the prevalence of prenatalcare use, and to identify the factors associated with it. This studyanalyzes prenatal care use in Fars Province between 2000 and2010, identifying the associations between women’s demographicand socio-economic characteristics and prenatal care use.Methods: The study is quantitative and based on secondarydata drawn from IDHS 2000 and MIDHS 2010. The sampleconsisted of 765 individuals from Fars Province. The datawere weighted to reflect the characteristics of the rural-urbanpopulation. Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS-18.In the inferential analysis, bivariate and multivariate logisticregressions were applied.Results: It was indicated that both the quantity and quality ofprenatal care increased during 2000–2010. Obstetricians andgynecologists became the primary reference point for womenaccessing healthcare during this period. Our study indicatesthat, in the final analytical model, the educational attainment(OR=1.32, P=0.035), urban place of residence (OR=10.49,P=0.003), sanitary and health status of households (OR=5.04,P<0.001), and knowledge of family planning (OR=1.14, P<0.001)were significantly related to the use of prenatal care.Conclusion: Women who do not have access to prenatal careare mainly from families with low socio-economic status.Thus socially vulnerable groups receive deficient prenatal care,indicating the need for government investment and planning ina comprehensive insurance system.
Alireza Mirahmadizadeh; Sadaf Sahraian; Hamed Delam; Mozhgan Seif
Abstract
Objective: Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent chronic disease in the world. Timely and appropriate control can significantly reduce the burdens and costs of this disease. Although insulin injection is the most efficient method to control type 2 diabetes, patients avoid this method for unknown reasons. ...
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Objective: Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent chronic disease in the world. Timely and appropriate control can significantly reduce the burdens and costs of this disease. Although insulin injection is the most efficient method to control type 2 diabetes, patients avoid this method for unknown reasons. The main aim of the present study is to determine the factors influential in non-adherence to insulin using tools and models that have not been applied in this field so far.
Methods: The tendency to insulin injection in 457 patients with type 2 diabetes was investigated in this cross-sectional study using the classic logistic regression and new learning algorithms, including conditional tree, conditional forest, and random forest. Different fits were compared so that the best model can be determined to identify the factors in non-adherence to insulin.
Results: Although random forest had the highest accuracy among the fitted models, all the methods had a relative consensus that having life insurance, academic education, and insulin injection experience in immediate family members increase the tendency to accept insulin therapy. Our results also showed that younger patients and those who were committed to a specific diet better approved insulin therapy.
Conclusions: The reasons for non-adherence to insulin can be summarized in economic and psychological aspects. Therefore, the health system policies are recommended to address economic issues and also raise public awareness about this treatment method.
Fariba Moradi; Hassan Joulaei; Masuomeh Saffari; Najaf Zare; Mohammad Hossein Fallah Zadeh
Volume 1, Issue 1 , July 2013, , Pages 14-18
Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression symptoms and the effect of various demographic characteristics on its severity in an elderly population in Fars province, southern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during May and September 2009. ...
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Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression symptoms and the effect of various demographic characteristics on its severity in an elderly population in Fars province, southern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during May and September 2009. A sample of 1461 men and women, aged more than 60 years were selected using a multistage stratified random sampling method. Levels of depression symptoms were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Also, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis were performed to find the correlation between the variables and GDS score. Results: Overall, 1443 people completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of the symptoms mild to moderate depression (GDS: 5-10) was 51.1%, while that of severe depression symptoms (GDS >10) was 19.7%. There were significant relationships between sex, marital status, educational level, occupation, residential place and the GDS scores. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression symptoms was high among the elderly in Fars Province. Therefore, if properly trained, primary care teams could help these patients.
Mohammad Ali Baghapour; Mansooreh Dehghani; zahra elhamiyan
Volume 4, Issue 1 , January 2016, , Pages 14-21
Abstract
AbstractBackground: Dyes are visible materials and are considered as one of the hazardous components that make up the industrial waste. Dye compounds in natural water, even in very low concentrations, will lead to environmental problems. Azo dyes are compounds with one or more –N=N– groups and are ...
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AbstractBackground: Dyes are visible materials and are considered as one of the hazardous components that make up the industrial waste. Dye compounds in natural water, even in very low concentrations, will lead to environmental problems. Azo dyes are compounds with one or more –N=N– groups and are used in textile industry. Because of its low price, solubility, and stability, azo dyes are widely used in the textile industry. Direct Red 81 (DR81) is one of the azo dyes, which is removed from bodies of water, using various methods. This study aimed to assess DR81 dye removal by Fenton oxidation and the effects of various parameters on this process.Methods: Decolorization tests by Fenton oxidation were performed at dye concentrations of 50, 500, 100 and 1000 mg/L; hydrogen peroxide concentrations of 0, 10, 30, 60 and 120 mg/L; iron (II) sulfate heptahydrate concentrations of 0, 3, 5, 20 and 50 mg/L; and pH levels of 3, 5, 7 and 10 for durations of 5, 10, 20, 30, 60 and 180 minutes.Results: The optimal condition occurred at a dye concentration of 20 mg/L, hydrogen peroxide concentration of 120 mg/L, bivalent iron concentration of 100 mg/L, pH of 3, and duration of 30 minutes. Under such conditions, the maximum dye removal rate was 88.98%.Conclusion: The results showed that DR81 could be decomposed and removed by Fenton oxidation. In addition, the removal of Direct Red 81 (DR81) depends on several factors such as dye concentration, reaction time, concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and iron, and pH.
Mohammad Ali Baghapour; Mohammad Reza Shirdarreh; Mohammad Faramarzian
Volume 2, Issue 1 , January 2014, , Pages 15-25
Abstract
Background: Amoxicillin is widely used as an antibiotic in the modern medicine. Due to its chemical structure, polarity, activity level, antibiotic specifications, and environmental sustainability, Amoxicillin leaks into the groundwater, surface waters, and drinking water wells. Many physical and chemical ...
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Background: Amoxicillin is widely used as an antibiotic in the modern medicine. Due to its chemical structure, polarity, activity level, antibiotic specifications, and environmental sustainability, Amoxicillin leaks into the groundwater, surface waters, and drinking water wells. Many physical and chemical methods have been suggested for removing Amoxicillin from aquatic environments. However, these methods are so costly and have many performance problems. Methods: In this study, biodegradation of Amoxicillin by submerged biological aerated filter (SBAF) was evaluated in the aquatic environment. In order to assess the removal of Amoxicillin from the aquatic environment, this bioreactor was fed with synthetic wastewater based on sucrose and Amoxicillin at 3 concentration levels and 4 hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Results: The maximum efficiency for Amoxicillin and Soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand (SCOD) removal was 50.8% and 45.3%, respectively. The study findings showed that Stover- Kincannon model had very good fitness in loading Amoxicillin in the biofilter (R2 > 9 9%). T here w as n o a ccumulation o f Amoxicillin in the biofilm and the loss of Amoxicillin in the control reactor was negligible. This shows that removal of Amoxicillin from the system was due to biodegradation. Conclusions: It can be concluded that there was no significant inhibition effect on mixed aerobic microbial consortia. It was also observed that Amoxicillin degradation was dependent on the amount of Amoxicillin in the influent and by increasing the initial Amoxicillin concentration, Amoxicillin biodegradation increased, as well.
nasrin shokrpour; Roxana sharifian; mohaddese ghanbari jahromi; Mohammad khammarnia; aziz kasani
Volume 5, Issue 1 , January 2017, , Pages 15-21
Abstract
Abstract Introduction: One of the aims of the family physician program (FPP) is to improve the maternal and child health indicators. this study aimed to comparison maternal and child health indicators in Shiraz rural areas before and after implementation of FPP during 2001 to 2012.Methods: This applicable ...
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Abstract Introduction: One of the aims of the family physician program (FPP) is to improve the maternal and child health indicators. this study aimed to comparison maternal and child health indicators in Shiraz rural areas before and after implementation of FPP during 2001 to 2012.Methods: This applicable study was conducted in Shiraz in the south west of Iran in 2014. The child and maternal health indicators before (2001 to 2005) and after FPP (from 2006 to 2012) were gathered from the Health Center (Enghelab and Shohadaye Valfajr). The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire consisted of 20 maternal and child health indicators. Descriptive statistics was used and for analyzing the data, Excel and Stata software and comparisons of rates and joint point regression tests were employed.Results: the results showed that The FPP lead to decrease in stillbirth, infant mortality and child under one-year mortality in the rural area. Also all the vital horoscope indicator (mortality under one month, mortality under one year, the frequency of the infants under one year, the percentage of stillbirths, crude death percentage, crude birth percentage, general fertility percentage, total fertility percentage) have improved after FPP in Health Center rather than Enghelab Health Center .Conclusion: the maternal and child health indicators had improvement after FPP implementation. Therefore, it is recommended to continue the program.
Arash Mani; Maryam Fattahi; Akbar Rasekhi Kazerouni; Leila Khabir
Volume 6, Issue 1 , January 2018, , Pages 16-22
Abstract
Aim: Sexual relation is an important and sensitive subject among human beings. A life domain that has received very little attention is patients' satisfaction with their sex life, also called sexual satisfaction. Physical illnesses and mental disorders affect sexual satisfaction. The aim of this project ...
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Aim: Sexual relation is an important and sensitive subject among human beings. A life domain that has received very little attention is patients' satisfaction with their sex life, also called sexual satisfaction. Physical illnesses and mental disorders affect sexual satisfaction. The aim of this project was to compare sexual satisfaction among psychiatric, internal medicine patients and healthy controls. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Statistical population consisted of all the patients who referred to the clinic during the spring of 2017 as psychiatric and internal medicine outpatients who were referred to Emam Reza and Motahari policlinic affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). 200 patients with psychiatric disorder, 200 patients with internal disease, and 200 healthy controls were selected using convenience sampling to participate in the study. They filled out demographic information questionnaire and Larson Sexual Satisfaction (LSS). Findings: The groups differed significantly in variance analysis in terms of sexual satisfaction (F=29.27, p= 0.001), compatibility (F=5.77, p= 0.003), quality (F=23.79, p= 0.001), and attitude (F=15.26, p= 0.001). Discussion: The results of the study indicated a lower rate of sexual satisfaction in the psychiatric patients compared to internal medicine patients and healthy controls.
Hamed Delam; Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan
Abstract
Background: Menopause is one of the female life stages affecting their mental health due to symptoms experienced by them during this period. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between severity of menopausal symptoms, depression and anxiety. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study ...
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Background: Menopause is one of the female life stages affecting their mental health due to symptoms experienced by them during this period. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between severity of menopausal symptoms, depression and anxiety. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was performed on 120 females aged 45-65 years in the city of Larestan, Iran. Subjects were selected by convenience sampling. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, Beck depression inventory, Spielberger anxiety scale, and the modified Kupperman menopausal complication index. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 25) at 95% confidence level. Results: Out of 120 menopausal females, who participated in this study, 89.2% were married, and their mean age was 53.30±4.24 years. The majority of them (92.5%) were in their diploma level and below. According to the results of the Spearman correlation test, there was a significant relationship between depression score and severity of menopausal symptoms (r = 0.775, P <0.01). There was also a significant difference between the total anxiety score and the severity of menopausal symptoms (r = .0.754, P <0.01). Conclusion: Considering the significant relationship between the severity of menopausal symptoms and the presence of anxiety and depression, the treatment of menopausal symptoms can prevent depression and anxiety in females during this sensitive period.
Khadijeh Darabi; Abooalfazl Azhdarpoor; Mansoureh Dehghani
Abstract
Background: Carbamazepine is a pharmaceutical compound used as an anticonvulsant for epilepsy and can enter the environment by inappropriate treatment of hospital wastewater. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the removal of carbamazepine from the aquatic environment, using the ozonation ...
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Background: Carbamazepine is a pharmaceutical compound used as an anticonvulsant for epilepsy and can enter the environment by inappropriate treatment of hospital wastewater. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the removal of carbamazepine from the aquatic environment, using the ozonation process. Methods: This is an experimental study in which certain concentrations of carbamazepine were removed, using the ozonation process. The effect of such factors as pH (3-11), carbamazepine concentration (5-15 ppm), ozone dose (200-400 mg/hr), and reaction time (15-180 seconds) on the removal efficiency was studied. Data analysis was performed to measure carbamazepine, using the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results: The results showed that the carbamazepine removal efficacy at pHs of 5, 7, and 11 was 81%, 66%, and 21%, respectively at 15 ppm, the reaction time of 30 seconds, and the ozone dose of 200 mg/hr, respectively. Also, at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/hr injectable ozone at pHs of 5 and 7, removal efficiency was 81%, 66%, 97%, and 78%, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results, at pH=5, reaction time of 30 seconds, the carbamazepine concentration of 15 ppm, injectable ozone dose of 200 mg/h, a removal efficiency of 81% was obtained. The ozonation process can react directly or indirectly with the drug contaminant in very low concentrations in aqueous solutions due to its high oxidation power, leading to its destruction or elimination, which may indicate that the ozonation method may be used as an effective method to remove carbamazepine and other similar contaminants.
Iran Jahanbin; Naval Heydari; Fariba Ghodsbin; Mehrab Sayadi
Volume 3, Issue 1 , January 2015, , Pages 20-26
Abstract
Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections seen in all age and both sex groups which frequently occur among adolescent and young women. UTIs are the second most common cause of emergency department attendance for adolescents. Considering the importance of promoting ...
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Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections seen in all age and both sex groups which frequently occur among adolescent and young women. UTIs are the second most common cause of emergency department attendance for adolescents. Considering the importance of promoting preventive behaviors of UTI, we aimed to evaluate the effect of peer education based on health belief model (HBM) on preventive behaviors of UTI among first-grade high school female students.Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, we recruited 168 first-grade high school girl students who were assigned into intervention (n=84) and control (n=84) groups. Data were collected using an HBM questionnaire which was designed by the researcher based on the review of the literature; before, immediately after and one month after the intervention. A total of 12 students in the intervention groups were selected as peer educator and attended two 2-hour training sessions for one week and were trained by the researcher. Afterwards, the trained peers taught the learned materials to their peers in two 1-hour sessions for two weeks through conferences and question-andanswer sessions. Data were analyzed by SPSS18 using t test and RMANOVA. The significance level was set at <0.05.Results: The results showed that the mean scores of knowledge, HBM constructs and p reventive behaviors related to UTI significantly increased in the participants of intervention group immediately after and one month after the intervention.(P<0.001)Conclusion: Peer education based on HBM seem to promote preventive behaviors related to UTI and reduce the risk of the disease among students.Trial Registration Number: IRCT201404167531N5
Mohammad Ali Baghapour; Nasser Talebbeydokhti; Hamidreza Tabatabee; Amir Fadaei Nobandegani
Volume 2, Issue 2 , April 2014, , Pages 54-65
Abstract
Background: Groundwater nitrate pollution is an important environmental problem in water resources management. In this regard, specific measures aiming at prevention of water pollution will be helpful to managers and decision-makers. Identification of aquifers’ vulnerable areas and determination of ...
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Background: Groundwater nitrate pollution is an important environmental problem in water resources management. In this regard, specific measures aiming at prevention of water pollution will be helpful to managers and decision-makers. Identification of aquifers’ vulnerable areas and determination of groundwater protection zones using most widely used models, such as DRASTIC and CD, are one of the most useful approaches in water resources’ hygiene. Objective: The present study aimed to assess the vulnerability of Shiraz plain’s unconfined aquifer using the above-mentioned models. Methods: The main hydro-geologic factors affecting the transmission of pollution, including depth to water table, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of the vadose zone, aquifer hydraulic conductivity, and land use parameters were rated, weighted, and integrated using GIS 9.3. Finally, the maps of Shiraz plain’s unconfined aquifer vulnerability were prepared. Results: The vulnerability maps based on these two indexes showed very similar results, identifying the southeastern part of the aquifer, around Maharlu Lake, as the vulnerable zone. The observed nitrate concentrations from the wells in the underlying aquifer were in accordance with these findings. The results of sensitivity analyses indicated the depth parameter as the most effective parameter in vulnerability assessment of Shiraz plain. Conclusion: As Shiraz plain has been covered with fine-grained sediments, except for some central and south-east regions which have moderate vulnerability and high nitrate concentration, its vulnerability is low. Given the intensive agricultural activities and also the rise in groundwater level in southeastern regions, more attention should be paid to these areas.
Hossein Safari; Mohammad Hassan Eftekhari; Jafar Hassan Zadeh; Arash Dashtabi
Volume 5, Issue 2 , April 2017, , Pages 59-65
Abstract
Background:Serum vitamin D (VIT D) concentration has been inversely associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), but the relationship has remained unclear. We evaluated the prevalence of VIT D deficiency, and its association with MS, and its components in the adult population in a sunny ...
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Background:Serum vitamin D (VIT D) concentration has been inversely associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), but the relationship has remained unclear. We evaluated the prevalence of VIT D deficiency, and its association with MS, and its components in the adult population in a sunny tropical region (Lamerd: a city in the south of Iran)Patients and Methods: Totally, 210 patients referring to different medical centers across the Lamerd city participated in this cross-sectional study through January and February of 2016. To select medical service center, we used a one-stage cluster sampling method. Anthropometric indices and dietary intake were measured using modified food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and blood samples collected. Data were analyzed using SPPS version 16, Pearson’s correlation was used to investigate the bivariate relationships between the variables, and unpaired t-test was used to determine the differences between genders for all variables. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:Overall, 62 menand 144 womenwith a mean age of 35.84± 10.84 years old completed this study; the prevalence of VIT D deficiency among the participants equaled 64.1% (women=66.7% and men=58.1%). A significant positive relationship between sun exposure time on the serum VIT (p= <0.0015), and a negative relationship between the serum VIT D on triglyceride (p= 0.035), TC (p= 0.025, age (p= 0.001), and fasting blood sugar (p= <0.001) were found.Conclusions: This study showed that lower VIT D concentrations were associated with increased MS risk factors.
fariba kiani; Ahmad Borjali; Kyomars Farahbakhsh; Noorali Farrokhi
Volume 3, Issue 2 , April 2015, , Pages 64-70
Abstract
Backgrounds: Situation awareness is an important factor in industrial accidents. Improving situation awareness may help to prevent occupational accidents. Determination of factors influencing situation awareness will help to plan and take measures for betterment of working condition and development of ...
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Backgrounds: Situation awareness is an important factor in industrial accidents. Improving situation awareness may help to prevent occupational accidents. Determination of factors influencing situation awareness will help to plan and take measures for betterment of working condition and development of a safer workplace. In this study, we examined the role of work overload and job stress in predicting work situation awareness among workers. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. A sample consisting of 180 employees in National Petrochemical Company in 2014 was selected using stratified random sampling method; the participants filled out the questionnaires containing questions on demography characteristics, work situation awareness of Sneddon, Mearns & Flin (2013), work overload of Beehr, Walsh & Taber (1976), and job stress scale of Cohen and colleagues (1983).The data were analyzed by SPSS software using coefficient correlation and stepwise regression. Statistical differences were considered significant at P<0.001. Results: The results showed that there were internal correlation among work overload, job stress and work situation awareness. Also, the results of stepwise regression analysis revealed that work overload and job stress significantly predicted, respectively, almost 11% and 35% of variances of work situation awareness among workers. Conclusion: Work overload and job stress are two main factors for predicting work situation awareness. To improve workplace safety, interventional measures should focus on enhancing the situation awareness via workload and job stress reduction.
Mehdi Jahangiri; Yadollah Yosefi; Amaneh Barikani; Arezoo Norozi; Younes Mohammadi
Abstract
Background: Safety is a part of organizational climate and reflects the workers’ current perception toward safety issues in an organization. The aim of this study was to survey the level of safety climate and its associated factors in various enterprises. Methods: Data were collected using Persian ...
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Background: Safety is a part of organizational climate and reflects the workers’ current perception toward safety issues in an organization. The aim of this study was to survey the level of safety climate and its associated factors in various enterprises. Methods: Data were collected using Persian version of Nordic safety climate questionnaires (NOSACQ) which was distributed among 661 employees of different industries in Qazvin Province. This questionnaire consists of six dimensions. The data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS Statistics 2010 and Microsoft office excel. We used the Mann-Whitney Test, Kruskal-Wallis Test, Spearman's Rho-Kendall's Tau-B, Tukey (POST-HOC) and - Way ANOVA tests to find the association between the variables and safety climate scores. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 29.97(± 5.53) years; 66% of them were married, 91% were males, 31% had a college degree, 47% were rotating- shift workers, and 80% were employed through contracts. Their average work experience was 17.27(±15.4) years. The values of Cronbach’s Alpha were acceptable in the study groups; the highest and lowest levels of safety climate were observed in ceramic and mine industries, respectively. Conclusion: There were some relationships between the safety climate and variables of level of education, work shift, presence of occupational and health department (OH&S) as well as safety management system, age and work shift.
Reza Kalantari; Zahra Zamanian; Mehrdad Kamrani; Ehsan Bakhshi; Matin Rostami; Morteza Mortazavi Mehrizi; Ebrahim Nazari far
Abstract
Background: Mental workloadis the operator´s mind effort, the excessive levels of which can endanger his/her health. Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (WMSs) could be the result of a high mental workload. As the workload level depends on the task, this study aims to assess the relationship ...
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Background: Mental workloadis the operator´s mind effort, the excessive levels of which can endanger his/her health. Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (WMSs) could be the result of a high mental workload. As the workload level depends on the task, this study aims to assess the relationship between mental workload and musculoskeletal symptoms in different working groups of a hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 240 employees in three main working groups including office staff, clinical employees, and service workers in a governmental hospital at Shiraz. Demographics, NASA Task Load Index, and Nordic musculoskeletal symptoms questionnaire were the data collection tools. SPSS, version 21, was used for data analysis. Results: The mean mental workload was 66.03 in office staff, 67.86 in clinical employees, and 72.41 in service workers. The prevalence of WMSs was 67% in office staff, 62.5% in clinical employees, and 60.8% in service workers. The overall mental workload was related to symptom prevalence in the elbow, thighs, knee, and foot (P-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Some domains of the mental workload are related to WMSs in the studied working groups. Paying attention to the special needs of each working group is necessary for reducing mental workload and WMSs.
Afsane Ahmadi; Nasrin Nasimi; Farnoosh Fakoorziba; Javad Rasooli
Volume 4, Issue 2 , April 2016, , Pages 70-75
Abstract
Background: Due to the increasing global use of nutritional supplements, dietitians play a key role in raising consumer awareness and reducing supplementary side effects. Hence, determination of the states of knowledge, attitudes and practices of this group as to common dietary supplements is important. Methods: ...
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Background: Due to the increasing global use of nutritional supplements, dietitians play a key role in raising consumer awareness and reducing supplementary side effects. Hence, determination of the states of knowledge, attitudes and practices of this group as to common dietary supplements is important. Methods: A list of all the dietitians employed in the health centers, nutrition clinics and private offices of Shiraz city was prepared; then, all the 36 qualified dietitians were referred to and the information of 25 dietitians was collected. To gather the data, we employed a 4-part questionnaire including demographic data and questions related to their knowledge, attitudes, and practices about prescribed dietary supplements. The knowledge scores of less than 50%, 50-75%, and over 75% were considered as low, medium, and good knowledge, respectively. And the classification of attitudes was determined based on quartile ranking. The data were statistically analyzed through SPSS, version19, using Chi-square and t-test statistical methods. Results: Most of the dietitians had moderate (80%) and low (20%) level of knowledge, while 100% of them had a positive attitude (3rd quartile) about the role of dietary supplements in health, side effects, and food interactions. The most common supplements recommended were those for anemia and growth of children. In this study, the dietitians who had higher level of knowledge significantly used nutritional journals to increase their awareness. Conclusion: Considering the key roles of dietitians and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the field of supplements and the results of the study, it appears that necessary measures should be taken to enhance the dietitians’ knowledge.
Mehrdad Askarian; Zahra Dehghani; Mina Danaei; Veda Vakili
Volume 1, Issue 2 , October 2013, , Pages 77-82
Abstract
Background: Physicians are one of the most important groups directly associated with public health and their health related lifestyle has a significant impact on their patient’s behaviors. Several studies showed that the majority of medical students did not have appropriate and healthy behaviors. The ...
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Background: Physicians are one of the most important groups directly associated with public health and their health related lifestyle has a significant impact on their patient’s behaviors. Several studies showed that the majority of medical students did not have appropriate and healthy behaviors. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of risky lifestyle knowledge and behaviors among Shiraz medical students.Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2011. Using a stratified random sampling method, 400 medical students were selected to fill in the questionnaires. The questionnaire contained 33 questions including demographic data, healthy lifestyle knowledge and behavior (including physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, water drinking, etc), perception of stress and student’s health information resource. The association between demographic factors and participants’ knowledge, practice and stress score was determined. The correlation between the participants’ knowledge and behavior scores was calculated.Results: The mean knowledge and attitude scores were 2.8 and 3.6, respectively. In 40% of knowledge and 80% of practice questions, the percentage of the correct answer was below 50%. There was a significant correlation between the participants’ knowledge and behavior scores (P<0.05).Conclusion: This study raises the voice of concern with medical students’ knowledge and behavior on healthy lifestyle measures. There is a need for re-thinking, planning and reviewing these concepts of pure reason which is essential in their future professional career. Health considerations, health surveillance and care systems which are based on evidence, reasonability and rationality still have to be paramount.
Parvin Afsar Kazerooni; nasrin motazedian; Mehrab Sayadi; Nadia Motazedian; Mojghan Sabet
Volume 2, Issue 3 , July 2014, , Pages 99-106
Abstract
Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemics are largely linked to high-risk populations such as female commercial sex workers (FSWs). This study assessed sexual behaviors, attitudes and knowledge of this marginalized group.Methods: We conducted a cross- sectional study on 278 selfidentified ...
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Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemics are largely linked to high-risk populations such as female commercial sex workers (FSWs). This study assessed sexual behaviors, attitudes and knowledge of this marginalized group.Methods: We conducted a cross- sectional study on 278 selfidentified FSWs by using Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) method in Shiraz, south of Iran, from June 2010 to March 2011. Volunteer women were interviewed in order to explore issues such as sexual behavior, sexual violence, work conditions, contraceptive methods, HIV/AIDS knowledge, HIV test, and source of HIV information.Results: The majority of participants (95.1%) knew about condoms; however, only 40.6% used condoms consistently. Despite the subject’s wide knowledge regarding modes of transmission, 61% and 40% did not use any protection with anal and oral intercourse, respectively. 21% of FSWs experienced sexual violence. Nearly half (45.2%) of them had an HIV test and more than three-quarters knew their test results. The women in our study preferred to receive their information from health workers (63%) and peer group (45.2%).Conclusion: This study sheds light on the existing knowledge and practices of this high-risk group. Although the majority of FSWs were familiar with HIV/AIDS, risky behaviors such as anal and oral sex are still in practice; this calls for education and HIV prevention campaigns focusing on risk education awareness. Efforts in addressing the problem of inconsistent condom use needs to be directed towards client specific approaches and must be regarded a top priority.
alireza besharati; Ali Ghanbari; Alireza Choobineh; Seyed Hamidreza Tabatabaee; Hadi Daneshmandi
Volume 3, Issue 3 , July 2015, , Pages 101-106
Abstract
Background: Proper training on how to correctly handle loads is one key point for prevention of low back disorders. This study was conducted with the objectives of assessing manual material lifting activities and comparing two methods of training intervention in a porcelain company. Methods: In this ...
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Background: Proper training on how to correctly handle loads is one key point for prevention of low back disorders. This study was conducted with the objectives of assessing manual material lifting activities and comparing two methods of training intervention in a porcelain company. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial which was conducted in a porcelain company, all male employees with lifting activities (n=204) participated. The data were collected using Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire and Lift/ Lower Force Risk Assessment software for assessing manual material lifting. Intervention methods included booklet and oral training. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U and Chisquare tests using SPSS software (Version 17.0). Results: The most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders symptoms were reported in the knee (52.5%), feet (45.1%), and lower back (43.6%). Risk assessment before intervention showed that in 62.7% of the workers studied, the level of exposure to musculoskeletal risks was in Action Level (AL) 1, 31.9% in AL 2 and 5.4% in AL 3. The risk assessment after intervention showed that in 77.5% of the workers studied, the level of exposure to musculoskeletal risks was in Action Level (AL) 1, 20.6% in AL 2 and 2% in AL 3 (P<0.001). Also, statistical analysis revealed that oral training (24.5%) was more effective than the booklet training (11.8%) (P=0.018). Conclusion: This study showed that training intervention could be effective in correction of methods of manual material lifting of workers. It seems oral training for workers of porcelain industry is more effective than the booklet training. Trial registration number: IRCT2015050322071N1.
Masoud Yousefi; Fatemeh Mesbahi; Iraj Abbasi; Mahboobeh Kousha; Kourosh Rahmani
Abstract
Background: Nowadays, in the world’s optimal management of science and technology, the use of geographical information system (GIS) is a necessity. In this study, GIS was used to analyze and detect microbial contamination in the water supply system of Masiri city. Methods:A cross-sectional study ...
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Background: Nowadays, in the world’s optimal management of science and technology, the use of geographical information system (GIS) is a necessity. In this study, GIS was used to analyze and detect microbial contamination in the water supply system of Masiri city. Methods:A cross-sectional study utilizing spatial analysis techniques was conducted to find out the water quality problems of water supply system. In this descriptive-analytical study, 400 water samples from all groundwater resources of Masiri city were conducted during two periods of dry and wet season. Residual chlorine, MPN and E.coli of the samples were determinate. Results: Results were compared with national standards and analyzed using SPSS and ArcView software. Concentration distribution map in GIS and the factors affecting Residual chlorine, MPN and E.coli changes were investigated. According to the results obtained in ArcView, it is necessary to improve the microbial quality of Masiri water distribution network in some places, which can be improved by proper management of chlorination and defects. Conclusion:It is concluded that a combination of water quality parameters and GIS methods is very useful asGIS provides efficient capacity to visualize the spatial data.
Rezvan Zare; Alireza Choobineh; Sareh Keshavarzi
Volume 4, Issue 3 , July 2016, , Pages 115-120
Abstract
Background: Working conditions have considerably changed and exposure to psychosocial risk factors, particularly occupational stress, has recently had an increasing trend. Studies have shown that sickness absence was the worst outcome of occupational stress. The present study aimed to assess the relationship ...
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Background: Working conditions have considerably changed and exposure to psychosocial risk factors, particularly occupational stress, has recently had an increasing trend. Studies have shown that sickness absence was the worst outcome of occupational stress. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between dimensions of occupational stress and sickness absence in a gas company in Boushehr, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 employees of a gas company, Boushehr, Iran who were selected through random sampling. Osipow occupational stress questionnaire was used to determine the participants’ stress levels. Then, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The participants’ mean of sickness absence was 2.164.57± days per year. Besides, 1.5%, 32.5%, 36.3%, and 29.8% of the participants had low, low to moderate, moderate to severe, and severe occupational stress, respectively. Additionally, the mean of total stress was moderate to severe among the study participants. This was also the case concerning the stress dimensions. The results revealed a significant relationship between the number of sickness absences and dimensions of occupational stress, including workload, role insufficiency, role conflict, responsibility, physical environment, and total stress (P=0.0001). Conclusion: The majority of the employees had high levels of occupational stress. Besides, a significant association was observed between the dimensions of occupational stress and sickness absence. Accordingly, to decrease the number of sickness absence, we should take measures to reduce occupational stress.