Afshan Javadi; Aliyar Ahmadi; Fariba Moradi; Zohreh Balaghi; Nooshin Zarei
Volume 5, Issue 3 , July 2017, , Pages 116-122
Abstract
Background: During the last two decades, fertility has declined to replacement level in rural areas of Iran. The current study investigated the determinant factors of actual and ideal fertility, and fertility intention in rural women of Fars province.Method: This is a cross-sectional study. The sample ...
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Background: During the last two decades, fertility has declined to replacement level in rural areas of Iran. The current study investigated the determinant factors of actual and ideal fertility, and fertility intention in rural women of Fars province.Method: This is a cross-sectional study. The sample comprised 1301 rural married women aged 15 to 49 years in Fars province. Data were gathered in 2015 using structured questionnaires. Statistical analysis was run on STATA software, version 12.0. The semi-partial correlation was run to show the unique effect of each variable while controlling all the other variables. Finally, a multiple regression model was run with a significance level of 0.05. Results: The means(±SD) of actual and ideal fertility were 2.11±(1.32) and 2.81±(0.96), respectively, and for fertility intention it was 2.92±)1.00(. Age was the most determinant factor of actual, ideal fertility and fertility intention. The second effective factor was age at first birth. The determination coefficient for the actual fertility model showed that 62.1% of the variance in actual fertility was explained by age, age at first birth, woman’s education, and use of contraceptive methods. For ideal fertility and fertility intention, about 16.2% and 27.5% of the variance were explained by the independent variables, respectively.Conclusion: As a result of the rise in education and social position of younger women, the opportunity cost of having a child is more effective than ever. Therefore, fertility incentive policies could not be effective in increasing fertility, even in among rural population.
Fallah Hashemi; Hassan Hashemi; Mansooreh Dehghani; Mohammad Hoseini
Abstract
Introduction: One of the major pollutants in the environment is heavy metals. The stability of heavy metals in the environment has created a lot of problems. Refinery effluents are one of the most important sources of heavy metals and should be treated before being discharged into the environment. ...
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Introduction: One of the major pollutants in the environment is heavy metals. The stability of heavy metals in the environment has created a lot of problems. Refinery effluents are one of the most important sources of heavy metals and should be treated before being discharged into the environment. Methods: This interventional experimental study aimed to remove heavy metals from petroleum effluent by using the micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) at Kermanshah Oil Refinery. Since ultrafiltration membranes alone cannot remove the heavy metals, surface active agents, such as surfactants, are injected into the effluent. Surfactant monomers in reaction to metal ions creating a complex that cannot cross the ultrafiltration membrane. Heavy metals are removed from the effluent stream. In the present study, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) as surfactant was used to add the effluent to improve the process of heavy metal removal. Result: The results showed that heavy metals such as nickel, lead, cadmium and chromium decreased by 96%, 95%, 92% and 86%, respectively. In the inlet effluent with increasing pH, the efficiency of the processes for metal removal increased, so that at pH = 10, the highest removal efficiency was observed. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the use of membrane processes as a practical and efficient method in industrial wastewater treatment can be applied in various industries, especially refinery ones.
Farzaneh Mobasheri; Gholamhossein Shahraki; Roksana Estakhrian Haghighi; Mohammad Fararouei
Abstract
Background: The incidence of accidents, its types and leading causes are largely varied in different communities and within different ages. This survey investigated the incidence and types of injury after accidents in adolescent girls with regard to the parents' socio-economic status, schooling and health-related ...
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Background: The incidence of accidents, its types and leading causes are largely varied in different communities and within different ages. This survey investigated the incidence and types of injury after accidents in adolescent girls with regard to the parents' socio-economic status, schooling and health-related behaviors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 8159 high school girl aged 11-19 years, using a self-administered questionnaire. Demographic information, parents' socio-economic status, schooling and health-related behaviors, any accident causing the student to seek medical care during the year before the time of completing the questionnaire, the place, the cause and the body area injured in the accident were asked by single item scales. Results: The annual incidence of injury was about 4.4%. Of the total accidents, the most common type was car accident (45%). The most common affected body sites were legs (25.7%) and hands (%18.7); the most common place besides streets (31%) where the accidents happened was home (%19). Multivariate logistic regression revealed higher chances of injury among urban residences, those with lower school grades, those exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke, and those who spend more time with friends (P Conclusion: The findings suggested that accidents among adolescent girls are affected by different aspects of life, most of which being modifiable. Most accidents can be prevented if appropriate strategies and intervention programs are applied. For example, providing safer streets, homes and environment and public education are possibly the most effective measures.
Mansooreh Dehghani; Mahshid Ghadami; Talat Gholami; Marzieh Ansari Shiri; Zahra Elhameyan; Mohammad Reza Javaheri; narges shamsedini; Samaneh Shahsavani
Volume 3, Issue 4 , October 2015, , Pages 139-145
Abstract
Background: Recently, there has been a great concern about the consumption of dyes because of their toxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and persistence in the aquatic environment. Reactive dyes are widely used in textile industry. Advanced oxidation processes are one of the cost-effective methods ...
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Background: Recently, there has been a great concern about the consumption of dyes because of their toxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and persistence in the aquatic environment. Reactive dyes are widely used in textile industry. Advanced oxidation processes are one of the cost-effective methods for the removal of these dyes. The main aims of this study were determining the feasibility of using Fenton process in removing Reactive Red 198 (RR-198) dye from aqueous solution and determining the optimal conditions. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at a laboratory scale. A total of 69 samples were considered and the effect of pH, Fe (II) concentration, H2O2 concentration, initial dye concentration and reaction time were investigated. Results: According to the results, a maximum removal efficiency of 92% was obtained at pH of 3 and the reaction time of 90 min; also, the concentration of Fe (II), H2O2, initial dye concentration were 100 mg/L, 50 mg/L, and 100 mg/L, respectively. The results revealed that by increasing the concentration of Fe (II), H2O2 and initial dye, the removal efficiency was increased. Conclusions: The results showed that Fenton process could be used as a cost-effective method for removing RR-198 dye from textile wastewater efficiently.
Afsane Ahmadi; maryam ranjbar zahedani; Mahsa Moazen; Mohammad Hassan Eftekhari; Sareh Keshavarzi
Volume 2, Issue 4 , October 2014, , Pages 145-150
Abstract
Background: Job satisfaction is an emotional and positive feeling which results from job assessment or experiences. It is always considered as a problem in some organizations. Despite the important role of nutrition therapy in patients care, dietitians’ job satisfaction is less taken into account. ...
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Background: Job satisfaction is an emotional and positive feeling which results from job assessment or experiences. It is always considered as a problem in some organizations. Despite the important role of nutrition therapy in patients care, dietitians’ job satisfaction is less taken into account. The aim of the present study was to determine the amount of job satisfaction among dietitians in Fars province, Iran.Methods: In this study, job satisfaction of 95 dietitians was evaluated through demographic and job satisfaction questionnaires. They were sent by e-mail or face-to-face referral for participants. Job satisfaction level was classified into 6 different categories including very satisfied, fairly satisfied, slightly satisfied, slightly dissatisfied, fairly dissatisfied and very dissatisfied. The data were analyzed by SPSS software using independent sample t-test, oneway ANOVA and Pearson correlation test. Statistical differences were considered significant at P<0.05.Results: The results showed that 72.6% of the participants were satisfied with their job condition but 27.4% were dissatisfied. The mean score of job satisfaction of dietitians was 57%±10.54 (from the maximum score of 100), indicating the participants ’slight satisfaction. Moreover, the highest and lowest scores were related to the nature of work and salary, respectively.Conclusion: Since the level of job satisfaction affects other institutional variables such as efficiency, motivation, performance, absenteeism or burning out, it is suggested that authorities of Health Ministry provide a condition in which job satisfaction is increased by applying appropriate techniques.
Reza Kazemi; Hematoola Bahredar; Sajad Mousavi; Amin Norozi
Volume 5, Issue 4 , October 2017, , Pages 158-163
Abstract
AbstractBackground: Human errors play a crucial role in the incidence of industrial accidents. Hence, human reliability assessment (HRA) is essential as the most significant element of the system. The present study was conducted aiming at assessing human reliability in steering a blast furnace in an ...
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AbstractBackground: Human errors play a crucial role in the incidence of industrial accidents. Hence, human reliability assessment (HRA) is essential as the most significant element of the system. The present study was conducted aiming at assessing human reliability in steering a blast furnace in an iron melting industry.Methods: The study comprised all HRA stages, namely data collection (through questionnaire), determination of the scope of the study (using interviews and questionnaires), task analysis (through hierarchical task analysis (HTA), determination and identification of errors (SHERPA ), screening, error quantification (HEART), and analysis and effect assessment of human error reduction.Results: A number of 169 errors were identified among 140 Bottom-Level Tasks obtained from HTA diagrams. Among the 38 error producing factors, 22 were identified as effective factors, among which low workforce spirit (19%), excess team members (15.7%), operator inexperience (12.4%), and the poor quality of data transmission through instructions and through person-to-person interaction (11.75%) accounted for the highest effect on the whole operation.Discussion: Human errors in operations for steering blast furnace occur due to a variety of factors, often rooted in various management levels, instructions for steering operations and repair, operators-panels interaction levels, and some factors affecting performance. As a single approach, the techniques used in this study yielded fruitful results. These techniques enjoy high validity though there were signs of technical immaturity, which led to failure in providing consistent control methods.Conclusion: Despite the technical weaknesses in the HRA techniques, currently the HRA is a useful method to enhance the reliability of crucial operations, such as the steering operation of blast furnace.
Maryam Soltani; Ahmad Abdollahi; Majid Akrami; Jafar Hassanzadeh
Abstract
Introduction: Acute appendicitis is the major cause of abdominal pain which indicates urgent surgery. Commonly, it is diagnosed through clinical signs and symptoms and blood test. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of acute appendicitis diagnosis through signs and symptoms, Alvarado score ...
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Introduction: Acute appendicitis is the major cause of abdominal pain which indicates urgent surgery. Commonly, it is diagnosed through clinical signs and symptoms and blood test. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of acute appendicitis diagnosis through signs and symptoms, Alvarado score system, and ultrasonography method. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Medical profiles of 696 patients with abdominal pain suspected of acute appendicitis referred to Shahid Faghihi hospital were reviewed from June to October 2016. A checklist was used for data collection. The gold standard for diagnosis of acute appendicitis was patient’s pathology report. For signs and symptoms, Alvarado score system and ultrasonography method sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and the Youden’s index were calculated based on true positive and true negative values. Results: Among 696 patients suspected of acute appendicitis, 371 (53.3%) were men and 325 (46.7%) women. The mean age for women and men was 30.14+11.49 and 30.53+11.61 years, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for ultrasonography and Alvarado score system were 68.1% and 78.9%, 76.1%, and 59.9%, respectively. The areas under roc curve and the Youden’s index for ultrasonography and Alvarado score system were 0.73, 0.47, and 0.71, 0.55, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed that ultrasonography and Alvarado score system were effective pre-surgical diagnostic tests for patients suspected of acute appendicitis.
Madineh Rafatpanah; Diba Seif; Mousa Khosravani; shahla alborzi
Volume 4, Issue 4 , October 2016, , Pages 174-180
Abstract
AbstractBackground: Gifted individuals have exclusive personalitytraits and need various experiences to achieve more informationabout themselves and their ability into developmental process fromgiftedness to talent. Also, they can increase mental experiencesand obtain greater self- actualization with ...
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AbstractBackground: Gifted individuals have exclusive personalitytraits and need various experiences to achieve more informationabout themselves and their ability into developmental process fromgiftedness to talent. Also, they can increase mental experiencesand obtain greater self- actualization with recognition of thelevel of challenges, values and their personality traits. The aimof this study was to assess the relationship between personalitytraits, self-awareness and self-actualization dimensions.Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in Shiraz cityamong 239 gifted students from high schools during 2013. TheBig Five Personality Questionnaire (BFPQ), Self-ConsciousnessScale (SCS) and Measure of Actualization of Potential (MAP)were used to gather the data. Validity and reliability of thesetools were acceptable. Data were analyzed by regression testusing SPSS v19 statistic software.Results: The finding showed that agreeableness (r=0.34)and conscientiousness (r=0.41) factors (from five factors ofpersonality) had a positive relationship and neuroticism (r=-0.21)had a correlation with self-actualization negatively. Moreover,the privative self-awareness (r=0.41) and public self-awareness(r=0.15) showed a positive correlation and social anxiety revealeda significant negative relationship (r=-0.27) with general selfactualization.On the other hand, privative self-awarenessand agreeableness predicted that 23% of the scores belong toopenness to experience dimension (self–actualization) positively.In addition, conscientiousness and privative self-awarenesspredicted self-reference dimension positively, and neuroticismpredicted it negatively. These variables determine 40% of thescores of self reference dimension. Also, conscientiousness,agreeableness and privative self-awareness predicted that 36%of the scores belong to general self-actualization.Conclusion: Based on our study results, conscientiousnessand agreeableness factors (personality traits) had a significantrelationship with self-actualization and predicted the scores ofself-actualization. It was noted that privative self-awareness (selfawarenessdimension) had a significantly positive correlationwith self-actualization and predicted its scores.
Hossein Ashtarian; Nasrin Mehrabi; Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan; Mahmoud Rahmati
Abstract
Introduction: Delirium measurement instruments should be highly sensitive, and their instruction for the users should also be short-term and straightforward. The objective of the present study was to investigate the validation of the NEECHAM confusion scalein predicting the delirium of ICU patients in ...
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Introduction: Delirium measurement instruments should be highly sensitive, and their instruction for the users should also be short-term and straightforward. The objective of the present study was to investigate the validation of the NEECHAM confusion scalein predicting the delirium of ICU patients in Kermanshah health care and educational centers in 2015. Methods: This is cross-sectional descriptive-analytic research that was conducted in 2015. The researcher acquired the consent of the administrators of Imam Reza (AS) and Taleqani hospitals. A briefing session was held in ICU units, and the objective and method of the study were explained to patients to attract their cooperation. Sampling was done using convenience sampling. Some 166 patients were selected. The NEECHAM confusion scalewas used to investigate the delirium of patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the quality of the questionnaire. The significance level was considered 0.05. Results: Results show that 50.6 percent of the samples were female, and most of them were married (85.2%). Most of the patients lived in cities (78.9%) and were illiterate (50.3%). Also, most of the patients were housewives (44.4%). Instruments for data collection were demographic questionnaire and the NEECHAM confusion scale. The results of this study indicated that 45.2 percent of people have delirium. The NEECHAM confusion scalehas a large area under the ROC curve. Therefore, it has high predicting power in the prediction of delirium. Conclusion: according to the findings of this study, it can be said the NEECHAM confusion scalehas the validity to be able to provide accurate and rapid information about patients' delirious status. Since the cognitive impairment screening tools require regular editing; therefore, nurses working in intensive care units can use this tool to diagnose patients with delirium and prevent delirium complications quickly.
Masoumeh Akhlaghi; Zeinab Sadri; Hamid Reza Tabatabaee
Volume 1, Issue 1 , July 2013, , Pages 19-26
Abstract
Background: Malnutrition is one of the most common hazards which compromise children’s health. Previous studies have reported high rates of malnutrition in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer Ahmad. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of child malnutrition in Yasuj and to explore the association ...
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Background: Malnutrition is one of the most common hazards which compromise children’s health. Previous studies have reported high rates of malnutrition in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer Ahmad. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of child malnutrition in Yasuj and to explore the association between family characteristics and malnutrition. Methods: Data were collected from healthcare files of 285 infants aged 18 months and younger in Yasuj health care centers. Data included demographic information and anthropometric measurements at birth and at the last referral to health centers. Results: Rates of underweight, stunting, wasting, and low head circumference at birth were 17.9%, 13.4%, 27.8%, and 19%, and at the last referral they were 22.5%, 11.3%, 29%, and 15.5%, respectively. The frequency of underweight and wasting had significantly increased and that of stunting and low head circumference significantly decreased during the period between birth and the last referral. Birth wasting was significantly more common in younger mothers, families with fewer children, and shorter birth interval. Birth underweight and small head circumference was significantly associated with shorter birth interval. Child stunting was related to father’s education level and child wasting was associated with mother’s education. Parents’ education did not have any association with birth malnutrition. Conclusion: Wasting appeared to be the major form of malnutrition among infants in Yasuj. It was very high at birth, and continued to elevate after birth. Elevating educational level of parents (over Diploma), educating parents to keep sufficient interval between pregnancies, and paying more attention to young mothers and those who are delivering their first baby are among strategies to ameliorate child wasting.
Farideh Shishebor; zahra shamekhi; Majid Karandish; Mahmood Latifi
Volume 4, Issue 1 , January 2016, , Pages 22-26
Abstract
AbstractBackground: Atherosclerosis and subsequent coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in Iranian population. High serum lipid levels, especially the elevated level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), have been shown to be strongly related to the development of atherosclerosis. The ...
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AbstractBackground: Atherosclerosis and subsequent coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in Iranian population. High serum lipid levels, especially the elevated level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), have been shown to be strongly related to the development of atherosclerosis. The relationship between dietary glycemic index (GI) and lipid profile, particularly in nonwestern populations, has not been well studied; also, the result of studies are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between dietary glycemic index (GI) and main risk factor of atherosclerosis including abnormal blood lipid levels in healthy women.Methods: This cross-sectional study was done to investigate the associations between dietary GI and lipid profile. The subjects were 87 female personnel of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences aged 25-55 y; they were recruited randomly. Dietary GI was calculated from six 24 hour recalls (including 4 usual days and 2 holidays).Results: The mean of dietary GI was 72.1±4.07. After adjustment for potential dietary and non- dietary confounding factors, no significant relationship was found between dietary GI with HDL-C and LDL-C. There was also no statistically significant relationship between GI and total cholesterol or fasting Triacylglycerol.Conclusion: Findings of this study did not support the hypothesis of physiologic relevance of GI and lipid profile abnormality as a potential risk factor for atherosclerosis.
shiva madahian; alireza manzari tavakoli; sanjar salajegheh; seyed morteza seyed ahmadi
Volume 5, Issue 1 , January 2017, , Pages 22-31
Abstract
Background and goal: The interaction between university and industry, due to its highly constructive and positive effects on technical, economic and social changes, was traditionally at the center of policy makers’ and planners’ attention. The aim of the present study was to explain barriers and ...
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Background and goal: The interaction between university and industry, due to its highly constructive and positive effects on technical, economic and social changes, was traditionally at the center of policy makers’ and planners’ attention. The aim of the present study was to explain barriers and challenges existing in the interaction between medical sciences universities and industry.Method: This present descriptive-correlational study used measuring method fto investigate the interaction among Medical Sciences University (School of Public Health). 1468 individuals participated in this study. Using Morgan scale, 321 people were selected as the sample. Two questionnaires were prepared by the researcher. The proper governance questionnaire contains political, economic, social, legal and cultural dimensions composed of 69 questions. The barriers between university and industry questionnaire covering 3 dimensions of individual interaction barriers, organizational interaction barriers and environmental interaction barriers is composed of 40 questions. Data analysis was done using SPSS, version 21.Results: Based on factor analysis of the data, the main dimension of proper governance respectively was cultural factors and among various factors of barriers between university and industry, environmental interaction dimension was considered as the most important one. Moreover, the results showed that there was a direct and meaningful relationship between dimensions of proper governance and interaction between university and industry variable.Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, considering culture and cultural differences can help improve the interaction between university and industry.Keywords: Medical Sciences University, interaction, industry, governance.
Kourosh Mokhtari; Hossein Mazaheri; Amir Hossein Baghaie; Ali Hassani Joshaghani
Abstract
Background: High concentration of heavy metals and NO 3 in vegetables may pose serious health risks to humans. Therefore, this research was done to evaluate the carcinogenic and non- carcinogenic risk of heavy metals and NO 3 due to the consumption of most important greenhouse vegetables produced in ...
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Background: High concentration of heavy metals and NO 3 in vegetables may pose serious health risks to humans. Therefore, this research was done to evaluate the carcinogenic and non- carcinogenic risk of heavy metals and NO 3 due to the consumption of most important greenhouse vegetables produced in Markazi province. Methods: In this descriptive study, sampling of cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper produced in the greenhouses of Markazi province was done randomly and the concentration of Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni and NO 3 of them were determined. Non-cancer risk related to heavy metals and NO 3 sorption from vegetables was evaluated using the EPA method for men and women. Results: The mean concentration of all the studied metals except Cu was in the allowable concentration range. The mean concentration of NO 3 in the cucumber was 300 mg/kg FW, which was about 1.5 times higher than the maximum allowable concentration of that in vegetables. The HQ of Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu and NO 3 for all population groups were smaller than 1. The results showed that NO 3 and Pb were the major risk contributor for the consumers. The excess lifetime cancer risks of Ni for all receptor groups were greater than 1×10 −6 . Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the total risk index of heavy metals and NO 3 through consumption of greenhouse vegetables grown in Markazi province was below one. Also, in the most age groups this index is greater for women related to the men.
Elham Asrari; Negar Daneshi
Abstract
Background: In recent years, the need for new methods of water treatment on an industrial scale in order to compensate the shortage of water resources has become imperative. Among different methods, the use of adsorption in order to remove aqueous contaminates, including synthetic dyes, has been so effective. ...
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Background: In recent years, the need for new methods of water treatment on an industrial scale in order to compensate the shortage of water resources has become imperative. Among different methods, the use of adsorption in order to remove aqueous contaminates, including synthetic dyes, has been so effective. Methods: In this research, removal of malachite green from aqueous solution by concrete modified with rubber powder has been studied. In order to achieve the maximum efficiency of malachite green removal, the impact of different parameters such as initial concentration of malachite green, pH, adsorbent dosage and contact time was studied using batch experimental method. Results: According to the results, optimum conditions of MG removal were pH of 9, initial concentration of 30 ppm, rubber powder dosage of 35% of sand weight, and contact time of 90 min. Results of compressive strength test have shown that compressive strength of concrete with 35 wt.% of rubber powder reduced 84.13% compared to simple concrete. The removal percentage of MG is 98.33% when the surface of concrete is covered by rubber powder. Experimental data corresponded with pseudo-first order equation with R2= 0.93, Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms with R2= 0.85 and 0.84, respectively. Real waste sample was used to confirm the application of concrete in ordinary conditions of wastewater basin in accordance with optimum conditions of kinetics wastewater. Elimination rate of MG happened in an optimum condition with real samples taken from industrial factory. Conclusion: Concrete modified with rubber powder has potentials for removal of MG dye from wastewater. Covering the concrete surface with rubber powder can be an innovative and useful solution for increasing the rate of elimination of pollutants and contaminants, cost reduction and accelerating the absorption process. Actually, it could be considered as one solution for managing waste rubber.
Mansour Kashfi; Nahid Hatamian; Tayebeh Rakhshani
Volume 6, Issue 1 , January 2018, , Pages 23-28
Abstract
Introduction: Despite the provision of health care in Iran, brucellosis is still an endemic disease, so this study was carried out to determine the epidemiology of brucellosis in Andimeshk city during 2001-2016. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with brucellosis, ...
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Introduction: Despite the provision of health care in Iran, brucellosis is still an endemic disease, so this study was carried out to determine the epidemiology of brucellosis in Andimeshk city during 2001-2016. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with brucellosis, which were reported by governmental and non-governmental departments and received relevant diagnostic and laboratory information after receiving reports from patients. The obtained information was entered in the survey form. Sampling was done by census. SPSS version 20 was applied for analysis of data using descriptive statistics as well as the chi-square and independent t-test; a significant level of 0.05 was considered. Results: In the study period, there were 713 patients with brucellosis in Andimeshk. There were 390 males and 324 females with a male to female ratio of 1.02:1. The age of the patients ranged from 1 to 74 years with a mean of 31.19±17.03 years. The annual incidence rate per 100,000 persons was 24.42. There was a statistically significant association (p <0.05) between sex and exposure to infected milk and cattle. Also, the results showed that there was no statistically significant association (p>0.05) between the infected milk and job, year, season and month. Conclusion: In conclusion, the findings of this study showed that the incidence of brucellosis was higher among males, young people, and dairy farmers. Therefore, continuous surveillance and efforts are required to further decrease the cases of brucellosis.
Shiva Faghih; ehsan hejazi
Volume 2, Issue 1 , January 2014, , Pages 26-29
Abstract
Background: Given the importance of birth weight and the effects of anthropometric indices and socioeconomic status on it, this study was conducted to assess birth weight and its related factors among infants born in the hospitals of Ahwaz Jondishapour University. Methods: This cross-sectional study ...
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Background: Given the importance of birth weight and the effects of anthropometric indices and socioeconomic status on it, this study was conducted to assess birth weight and its related factors among infants born in the hospitals of Ahwaz Jondishapour University. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 269 newly born babies and their mothers in hospitals of Ahwaz Jondishapour University during 2009. Neonate anthropometric measures were obtained from hospital reports. The mothers were asked about their weight before pregnancy, their weight gain and demographic and socioeconomic data. SPSS software version16 was used to analyze the data. Relationships among infants and mothers’ anthropometric indices were assessed using bivariate correlation. Results: 86.8% of the infants were normal as to weight, 8.7% were underweight, and 4.5% overweight. Mothers’ weight gain during pregnancy and BMI before pregnancy were 12.18±5.18(kg) and 24.75±4.78(kg/m2), respectively. There was a significant correlation between infant’s birth weight and mother’s weight, height and weight gain during pregnancy. Discussion: Results of this study showed that mothers’ weight before pregnancy and their pregnancy weight gain have a key role in infant birth weight, so controlling the mother’s weight gain according to recommendation has a great effect on infant’s health.
Alireza jafari Baghkheirati; Leila Ghahremani; Mohammad Hossein Kaveh; Sareh keshavarzi
Volume 3, Issue 1 , January 2015, , Pages 27-35
Abstract
Background: When people maintain positive attitudes during life, their beliefs orientation will be highly beneficial to their health. In other words, those who have optimistic expectations report better physical health which is the result of their better psychological compatibility. The present study ...
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Background: When people maintain positive attitudes during life, their beliefs orientation will be highly beneficial to their health. In other words, those who have optimistic expectations report better physical health which is the result of their better psychological compatibility. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on Shirazi male high school students’ degree of optimism.Methods: This educational randomized controlled trial was conducted on 240 male high school students in Shiraz. The research sample was selected through multi-stage random sampling. In this study, a demographic information form was used to gather the students’ demographic characteristics. Besides, a positive thinking researcher-made questionnaire was designed based on TPB. Moreover, the life orientation test (optimism scale) developed by Scheier and Carver was used to evaluate the participants’ degree of optimism. After all, the data were analyzed in SPSS statistical software (v. 19) using descriptive and inferential methods. Significance level was set at 0.05 in all the tests.Results: Compared to the control group, all the constructs of TPB increased in the intervention group after the training (P<0.001). Moreover, Pearson correlation indicated a significant relationship between the constructs, and the highest correlation was among attitude, perceived behavioral control, and intention.Conclusion: According to the research findings, all the constructs of TPB played a key role in increasing the students’ positive think. Thus, educational intervention based on TPB has a positive effect on increasing the students’ positive think.
Mostafa Barzideh; Alireza Choobineh; Hamidreza Tabatabaee
Volume 2, Issue 2 , April 2014, , Pages 66-71
Abstract
Background: Evidence shows that job stress potentially has adverse effect on individuals’ health and organizational productivity. It has, therefore, become an important issue in the occupational health context. The aims of this study were to investigate job stress dimensions among nurses of Shiraz ...
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Background: Evidence shows that job stress potentially has adverse effect on individuals’ health and organizational productivity. It has, therefore, become an important issue in the occupational health context. The aims of this study were to investigate job stress dimensions among nurses of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) hospitals and comparing the results with the findings of the previous studies conducted in other countries. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 385 randomly selected nurses of SUMS participated. The Persian version of Job Content Questionnaire (P-JCQ) and demographic questionnaire were used for data collection. The linguistic validity and psychometric properties of P-JCQ have been assessed and approved in a previous study. One sample t-test was used to examine the differences between means of job stress dimension scores of the present and those of the previous studies carried out in other countries. Results: The means (SD) of decision latitude, psychological job demands, social support, physical job demands and job insecurity were found to be 58.15 (6.50), 38.19 (5.14), 22.67 (3.67), 16.03 (2.58), and 7.74 (3.85), respectively. The results revealed that decision latitude and social support dimensions were in a low level among the study subjects. In contrast, psychological job demand, physical job demand, and job insecurity dimensions were shown to be in a high level. Conclusion: The SUMS hospital environment collectively imposes higher job stress on the nurses as compared to that of other countries. To prevent harmful effects of job stress on the nurses’ health and job performance, developing macro-ergonomic strategies in this working environment, such as enhancing job control, reducing job demands, and providing supportive climate, seem necessary.
mahnaz Razmjoee; mahnaz yadollahi; narges shamsedini
Volume 5, Issue 2 , April 2017, , Pages 66-71
Abstract
Background : Implementing the healthcare reform plan in our country has forced the medical centres to pay more attention to the patients’ rights and their satisfaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the patient's satisfaction levels and the gap between their expectations and perceptions in ...
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Background : Implementing the healthcare reform plan in our country has forced the medical centres to pay more attention to the patients’ rights and their satisfaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the patient's satisfaction levels and the gap between their expectations and perceptions in Shahid Rajaee Hospital in Shiraz.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed aiming at evaluating the patient's satisfaction levels and the gap between their expectations and perceptions in Shahid Rajaee Hospital of Shiraz in 2015. In order to collect the data, 98 questionnaires were distributed among the patients using randomized sampling method; their validity and reliability were confirmed. Finally, through SPSS 20 software, we used descriptive statistics and the one-sample t-test for data analysis.Results: Results showed that amongst the patients’ perceptions, the highest mean belonged to Reliability dimension (3.50), and the lowest one to Assurance (3.23). In terms of the patient's expectations, the highest mean belonged to Reliability dimension (4.30) and the lowest one to Physical aspect (4.18). Of the 5 dimensions in this research, the largest gap between the patient’s expectations and perceptions belonged to Responsiveness, and the smallest one to Physical aspect.Conclusion: The results indicated that there was a significant difference between the patients’ expectations and perceptions, and the quality of services provided by the hospital needed further attention. It seems that it is necessary for managers and policy makers to plan for this issue and take measures to reduce these gaps in the quality and promote better health care services.
mahnaz mardani; Fateme gholaami; pouria rezapour; farzad ebrahimzadeh
Volume 3, Issue 2 , April 2015, , Pages 71-75
Abstract
Backgrounds: Iodine deficiency disorder is a major public health problem in areas where there is a lack of iodine in drinking water, soil, and food. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of goiter among school children in the age group of 6-10 years in Khorramabad city. Also, the level ...
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Backgrounds: Iodine deficiency disorder is a major public health problem in areas where there is a lack of iodine in drinking water, soil, and food. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of goiter among school children in the age group of 6-10 years in Khorramabad city. Also, the level of urine iodine was evaluated. Methods: The study was conducted from January 2012 to January 2013 in 1125 school children of 6-10 years of age, attending all the schools of Khorramabad city. The subjects were selected through stratified, random, and cluster sampling methods. Their Goiter degrees were evaluated according to WHO classification. Excretory urine iodine was measured based on micrograms per deciliter. Furthermore, the digestion method was used for experimentation. Results: Out of the 1125 subjects, 866 (77%) had Goiter. 24.2% were diagnosed with Goiter 1a, 45.3% with goiter 1b, and 7.2% with type 2 Goiter. Regarding Goiter, there was no difference between the two sexes. The prevalence of goiter increased with age, but it decreased with the increase of parental educational level. Also, goiter prevalence was lower in families with a higher socioeconomic status. The median urinary iodine was 17.1 micrograms per deciliter, which is desirable in terms of the WHO criterion. Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that using iodizing edible salt to fight with iodine deficiency was effective and helped Khorramabad reach the International indexes of iodine control. Despite this, Khorramabad is one of the hyper- endemic regions in the world.
Mohammad Reza Samaei; Razieh Ashoori; Abooalfazl Azhdarpoor; Saeed Yousefinejad
Abstract
Background: Simultaneous existence of excessive amounts of fluoride and nitrate in drinking water can cause health problems for humans. In this study, simultaneous removal of fluoride and nitrate from aqueous solutions was investigated using a combination of electroreduction and electrocoagulation processes ...
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Background: Simultaneous existence of excessive amounts of fluoride and nitrate in drinking water can cause health problems for humans. In this study, simultaneous removal of fluoride and nitrate from aqueous solutions was investigated using a combination of electroreduction and electrocoagulation processes in a batch reactor with different electrodes. Methods: In this study, at first, an optimum electrode was selected. Afterward, the effects of different operating parameters such as the current density (12- 36 mA/cm2), initial pH (5.5-8.5), NaCl concentration (0.5-1.5gr/L), and electrolysis time (15-120 min), ) on the removal of fluoride (initial concentration: 6 mg/L) and nitrate (initial concentration: 150 mg/) were evaluated, respectively. Results: The highest efficiency of the concurrent fluoride and nitrate removal with Al-Cu electrode and in optimal experimental conditions of the current density of 36 mA/cm2, pH of 7, NaCl concentration of 1gr/L, and electrolysis time of 90 minutes was obtained 87.04 and 89.70%, respectively. Conclusion: High catalytic activity of the copper cathode resulted in better performance than other cathodes in the simultaneous removal of fluoride and nitrate. Generally, it can be concluded that the electrochemical process can reduce the levels of fluoride and nitrate to the amounts below the WHO standard limits, 1.5 mg/L and 50 mg/L, respectively.
Vahid Gharibi; Nafiseh Nasouhi; Mahshid Badrian; Mahdieh Nikoo; Mehdi Jahangiri
Abstract
Background: Teachers are prone to Voice Disorder (VD). The present study aims to investigate the onset of VD symptoms and their effects on the job performance of the elementary school teachers. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 121 male and female elementary ...
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Background: Teachers are prone to Voice Disorder (VD). The present study aims to investigate the onset of VD symptoms and their effects on the job performance of the elementary school teachers. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 121 male and female elementary school teachers in Mobarakeh County during the academic year 2018-2019. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. In doing so, the researchers talked to 10 people composed of qualified experts in occupational health, ergonomics, and health education and a number of teachers about how to design the questions as well as the answer scale for each section. Results: In the present study, the prevalence of VD was higher among female teachers (41%) compared to male ones (20%). That is to say, the prevalence of the VD symptoms in female teachers was more than twice that of the male teachers. The study results demonstrated a significant relationship between having a silent resting place and coughing (p=0.028). Accordingly, the prevalence of the symptoms of cough was significantly higher in the teachers who did not have a silent resting place in comparison to those who benefitted from a quiet resting place. Conclusion: Thus, it is recommended that safety, occupational health, and ergonomic programs should be designed for teachers at the Ministry of Education in collaboration with concerned specialists. Periodic examinations, identification of teachers with disorders, culturalization, and education are among the themes of these programs.
Masuod Neghab; Abbasali Kasaeinasab; Yadollah Yousefi; Jafar Hassanzadeh; Hamidreza Sarreshtedar; Negar Alighanbari
Volume 4, Issue 2 , April 2016, , Pages 76-82
Abstract
Background: Drivers of heavy motor vehicles are occupationally exposed to intense whole body vibration (WBV) for several hours per day over their working lifetime. Therefore, they are at risk of WBV-induced occupational disorders. This study aimed to investigate health effects of long-term exposure to ...
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Background: Drivers of heavy motor vehicles are occupationally exposed to intense whole body vibration (WBV) for several hours per day over their working lifetime. Therefore, they are at risk of WBV-induced occupational disorders. This study aimed to investigate health effects of long-term exposure to whole body vibration among a group of heavy vehicle drivers in Fars province, southwestern Iran. Methods: Data on vibration-induced health effects were gathered through a checklist specifically devised for this purpose, interview and medical records of 155 male heavy vehicle drivers as well as 70 referent subjects. Signs and symptoms were classified into 6 categories of neuropsychological, gastrointestinal, ocular, auditory and metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. Results: Symptoms such as neuropsychological, musculoskeletal, metabolic, visual and hearing disorders were significantly more prevalent among drivers than in referent individuals. Additionally, logistic regression analysis revealed that there were statistically significant associations between exposure to WBV and several outcomes. Conclusion: Findings of the study indicate that longterm occupational exposure to WBV is a risk factor for neuropsychological, musculoskeletal, metabolic, visual and hearing disorders.
Mahin Nazari; Mohammad Reza Hosseini; Mohammad Hossein Kaveh
Volume 1, Issue 2 , October 2013, , Pages 83-88
Abstract
Background: Smoking is one of the preventable causes of diseases as well as early deaths all around the world. In addition, conducting educational interventions plays a major role in preventing adolescents from smoking. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of educational intervention ...
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Background: Smoking is one of the preventable causes of diseases as well as early deaths all around the world. In addition, conducting educational interventions plays a major role in preventing adolescents from smoking. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on preventing Shirazi students from smoking.Methods: In the present quasi-experimental study, 154 male students of the 2nd grade of high school from Shiraz were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling and randomly assigned to a control and an experimental group. The study data were collected through a questionnaire including the demographic information, questions on knowledge, and questions based on the components of the theory of planned behavior. After the pre-test, the intervention group underwent the educational intervention and after 2 months, both groups took part in the post-test. Then, the data were entered into the SPSS statistical software (v.11.5) and analyzed through the non-parametric tests of Mann-Whitney, Fisher, and Chi- square as well as Linear Multiple Logistic Regression.Results: No significant difference was observed between the two groups’ mean scores before the intervention. After the intervention, the intervention group’s scores of knowledge, attitude, intention, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly increased.Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study, educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior was highly effective in reducing Shirazi high school students’ intention to smoke.
Masoud Neghab; Hamid Karimi; Sayed Hamidreza Tabatabaee; Esmaeel Soleimani; Abas Ali Kasaeinasab
Volume 2, Issue 3 , July 2014, , Pages 107-112
Abstract
Background: Noise is one of the most pervasive hazards in industrial settings. This retrospective study was carried out to assess the effects of noise exposure on hearing status, blood lipids and blood pressure of employees of a local fireclay mine.Methods: Two hundred and forty male workers were studied. ...
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Background: Noise is one of the most pervasive hazards in industrial settings. This retrospective study was carried out to assess the effects of noise exposure on hearing status, blood lipids and blood pressure of employees of a local fireclay mine.Methods: Two hundred and forty male workers were studied. Data on audiometric measurements, blood lipids and blood pressure were derived from the workers’ medical records and analyzed. Furthermore, area noise measurements were performed. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0.Results: Workers were exposed to a mean noise level of 91±15 dB. The means of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were within the normal range for the first three years of the study. However, a slight, non-significant increase in TG level was noted in 2010. Most of the participants (63.6%) suffered from moderate hearing loss (HL). About 23.6% and 12.7% of the employees had developed severe and mild HL, respectively. A statistically significant difference was noted in the number of workers with high-frequency noise-induced HL. Furthermore, a statistically significant association was found between the mean of high frequency HL and log-transformed TG values in 2009 and 2010.Conclusions: High frequency HL could be used as a biomarker for identifying workers exposed to excessive noise levels. High frequency HL developed over a 4-year exposure to noise was associated with hyper triglyceridemia. Implementing a hearing conservation program seems to be mandatory to prevent further increases in the number of workers who are already in the severe HL group.
