Original Articles
Alireza Mirahmadizadeh; Elham Kavoosi; Marzieh Vakili; Razieh Shenavar; Mohsen Moghadami
Volume 1, Issue 2 , October 2013, Pages 57-66
Abstract
Background: Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) have been recognized as a major public health problem worldwide. Consequences of IDD include goiter, hypothyroidism, and intellectual disability followed by retarded growth and development of the brain. This report aimed to determine the state of IDD in Fars ...
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Background: Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) have been recognized as a major public health problem worldwide. Consequences of IDD include goiter, hypothyroidism, and intellectual disability followed by retarded growth and development of the brain. This report aimed to determine the state of IDD in Fars province, south of Iran.Methods: In this study, we gathered data from all scientific papers, published and unpublished reports of IDD surveillance system, results of IDD-related surveys and all data from the center for disease control (CDC) at provincial and national levels during 1989-2012. Five main IDD indices are summarized, interpreted, and then organized in graphs and tables.Resuits: After formation of national committee of IDD followed by launching of extensive iodine delivery, most of IDD indices have improved. The percentage of iodized salt intake has increased from 0 to near 100%, and that of salt with adequate amount of iodine has increased to 94.5%. Median of urinary iodine concentration (UIC) has always been higher than the acceptable value (≥100 μg/L) and 68% of people had a mean of UIC ≥100 μg/L. The percentage of TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone) >5 mU/L in the screened newborns has persistently been less than 1% during 2005-11. Prevalence of goiter has declined from 68% in 1989 to 1.3% in 2007.Conclusion: Present findings address those efforts to combat iodine deficiency which were effective. According to the small sample size and also the fact that some data have been derived at the national level, we recommend that a comprehensive populationbased survey should be carried out with sufficient sample size to achieve information with high accuracy and precision.
Original Articles
Mohammadreza Heydari; Nader Parsa; Rahim Davani
Volume 1, Issue 2 , October 2013, Pages 67-76
Abstract
Background: Trihalomethanes are toxic and dangerous substances that are formed in the presence of organic materials when water is chlorinated for disinfection. The Iranian National Standard, World Health Organization, European Union, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and International Agency for Research ...
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Background: Trihalomethanes are toxic and dangerous substances that are formed in the presence of organic materials when water is chlorinated for disinfection. The Iranian National Standard, World Health Organization, European Union, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and International Agency for Research in Cancer standards have established a Maximum Contaminant Level for Trihalomethanes for the quality of consumable water. The aim of this study was to determine if the trihalomethanes level in the water of Fars province swimming pools comply with these recommendations.Methods: The laboratory study design was conducted by utilizing spectrophotometer Hack DR5000 VIS-UV equipment for evaluating trihalomethanes concentrations, digital photometer Palin-test for measuring chlorine and pH to process different samples collected from 43 indoor and outdoor swimming pools in Fars Province, Iran. The dependent variable was trihalomethanes and chlorine compounds were independent variables. Precise laboratory experimental methods and appropriate statistical analysis were conducted using SPSS.Results: Mean concentration of trihalomethanes was found to be 242.1μg/l, ranging from 0 to 990μg/l for 43 public swimming pools in Fars province. Association of trihalomethanes and chlorine components with analysis of variance (ANOVA) model was highly significant (P<0.0001).Conclusion: Study results showed that there were strong associations between chlorine compounds and trihalomethanes concentrations. The mean trihalomethanes was 1.2-times (241.2μg/l VS. 200.0μg/l) higher than the national and 3-folds (241.2μg/l VS. 80.0μg/l) higher than the worldwide standards. Therefore, based upon standard recommendations, this conclusion could pose a hazard to public health.
Original Articles
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.
Original Articles
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.
Original Articles
Hamid Reza Zeinaddine; Afshin Ebrahimi; Vali Alipour; Leila Rezaei
Volume 1, Issue 2 , October 2013, Pages 89-93
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to determine the efficiency of the intermittent cycle extended aeration system (ICEAS) and the removal conditions of treating contaminants, especially nitrogen phosphorus from sea shopping center wastewater.Methods: Experiment was carried out on fish distribution center of ...
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Background: This study aimed to determine the efficiency of the intermittent cycle extended aeration system (ICEAS) and the removal conditions of treating contaminants, especially nitrogen phosphorus from sea shopping center wastewater.Methods: Experiment was carried out on fish distribution center of Bandar Abbas and 30 samples were collected in a 6 month period from the inlet of the market septic tank. The used pilot study carried out consisted of two zones: pre-react and main react zones. They were divided using a baffle wall. Firstly, wastewater enters a pre-react zone and then through the opening at the bottom of the baffle wall it enters the main react zone. The experiment was carried out with three simultaneous cycles per day.Results: The results showed that the mean of BOD5, COD, phosphorus, and nitrate and nitrite removal was 91.5, 86.7, 59.5, 49, and 80.8 percent, respectively.Conclusion: It was shown that the system is able to remove nitrogen and phosphorus almost similar to other proprietary phosphorus removal processes and with lower cost; however, it is not a proprietary process.
Short Communication
Hamzeh Alipour; Mohammad Reza Abaie; Hossein Ladonni; Ali Akbar Kadivar
Volume 1, Issue 2 , October 2013, Pages 94-97
Abstract
Background: Malaria is the most important vector-borne disease in many tropical countries all over the world. Because of the widespread use of pyrethroid insecticide treated mosquito nets in the world, the effects of excito-repellency (ER) phenomenon of pyrethroids against main malaria vector, Anopheles ...
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Background: Malaria is the most important vector-borne disease in many tropical countries all over the world. Because of the widespread use of pyrethroid insecticide treated mosquito nets in the world, the effects of excito-repellency (ER) phenomenon of pyrethroids against main malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi were studied.Methods: The ER phenomenon of three concentrations of two synthetic pyrethroids (permethrin and deltamethrin) as well as etofenprox was evaluated against Anopheles stephensi under laboratory conditions. Female 5-7 day unfed mosquitoes were exposed to animal bait in holder and the animal’s back and head were covered with impregnated bed net in -ER test chamber.Results: Deltamethrin was more effective compared to other insecticides in killing the mosquitoes. The mean of entry to exit trap showed significant differences in all concentrations of insecticides (P<0.05).Conclusion: This study showed that ER phenomenon of insecticides should be noticed in vector control programs. The ranked data indicated the relative potency of both pyrethroids and etofenprox. Deltamethrin repels the female mosquitoes more than other insecticides tested.
