Original Articles
Shiva Faghih; Alireza Abadi; Mehdi Hedayati; Seyed Masoud Kimiagar
Volume 2, Issue 3 , July 2014, Pages 88-92
Abstract
Background: Obesity and metabolic syndrome are serious public health problems. It is suggested that high calcium diet can improve lipid profile, blood pressure and insulin resistance.Methods: In this clinical trial, 75 healthy overweight or obese premenopausal women were randomly allocated to one of ...
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Background: Obesity and metabolic syndrome are serious public health problems. It is suggested that high calcium diet can improve lipid profile, blood pressure and insulin resistance.Methods: In this clinical trial, 75 healthy overweight or obese premenopausal women were randomly allocated to one of the following dietary regimens for 8 weeks: 1) a control diet 2) a calcium-supplemented diet containing 800mg/d calcium carbonate 3) a high milk diet containing three servings of low fat milk (all of them providing a 500kcal/day deficit). At baseline and after 8 weeks, waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, serum triglyceride (TG), fasting blood sugar (FBS), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured.Results: After 8 weeks, WC, FBS and HDL-C decreased in all groups (P<0.001), but there were no significant reduction in TG and blood pressure. Reduction of WC in the milk group was significantly higher than the controls (P=0.028). Also, reduction of HDL-C in the calcium and milk groups was less than the controls (P=0.023 and P=0.019, respectively). Changes in FBS, TG and blood pressure were not significantly different among the 3 groups.Conclusion: We found that increasing milk consumption led to more WC reduction. Milk or calcium intake caused less adverse effect on HDL-C, but has no effect on the blood pressure, FBS and TG. So increase in milk or calcium intake can reduce WC among the metabolic syndrome complications.
Original Articles
Asma Kazemi; Zahra Hassanzadeh Rostami; Masoumeh Akhlaghi
Volume 2, Issue 3 , July 2014, Pages 93-98
Abstract
Background: The association between snacking patterns, sleep hours, and physical activity with growth status and appetite of preschool children was investigated.Methods: Sixty three children aged 3-7 years with low appetite and weight for age ratio below the 25th percentile were enrolled from those referring ...
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Background: The association between snacking patterns, sleep hours, and physical activity with growth status and appetite of preschool children was investigated.Methods: Sixty three children aged 3-7 years with low appetite and weight for age ratio below the 25th percentile were enrolled from those referring to Nader Kazemi Polyclinic in Shiraz. Information regarding the parents’ education, sleep hours, physical activity, appetite, and snacking patterns was obtained by interview. Height and weight were measured and energy intake was estimated by 2-day food recall. Appetite was rated on a 5-point scale based on the maternal report.Results: Mother’s education, the number of children in the household, and physical activity were not associated with either growth failure, energy intake, or appetite, but the fathers’ education more than Diploma was associated with higher energy intake in children (P=0.015). Children who slept <11 hours a day had higher energy intake (P=0.026) but worse weight status (P=0.015). Children who always ate snacks close to the main meals had significantly higher energy intake but more severe growth failure. High consumption of fruit drinks, cakes, and potato chips was associated with exacerbated growth faltering whereas nuts consumption was related to better height status. None of the evaluated parameters was associated with children’s appetite.Conclusion: Overall, the results suggest the importance of sufficient sleep, limited consumption of snacks, and the type and time of snack consumption in growth of children with poor appetite. Nutritious snacks such as nuts may be more beneficial than nutrient-poor snacks for growth of children.
Original Articles
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.
Original Articles
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.
Original Articles
majid nozari; Mohammad Reza Samaei; Mansooreh Dehghani
Volume 2, Issue 3 , July 2014, Pages 113-124
Abstract
Background: Among Alkanes, N-Alkanes with medium chain have been identified as the most important contaminants of the soil. N-hexadecane (C16H34) with low solubility in water also belongs to this group and has been used by many researchers as a model contaminant. The present study aimed to investigate ...
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Background: Among Alkanes, N-Alkanes with medium chain have been identified as the most important contaminants of the soil. N-hexadecane (C16H34) with low solubility in water also belongs to this group and has been used by many researchers as a model contaminant. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the external source of carbon (glucose) as co-substrate on removal of hexadecane from the soil.Methods: In this study, a Slurry Sequencing Batch Reactor (SSBR) was used as a pilot by a bacterial consortium, including bacterium Acinetobacter radioresistens, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in order to remove different concentrations of hexadecane (1,4,7, and 10 percent).Sampling was performed four times during the sedimentation step. Then, the samples were analyzed by GC-FID and the results were analyzed statistically.Results: The results showed that hexadecane removal (%) by the microbial consortium was higher in lower initial concentrations in such a way that the biological removal of hexadecane was respectively 45.95%, 38.55%, 34.39%, and 32.40% in the concentrations of 1%, 4%, 7%, and 10% on the third day. Moreover, adding the external carbon source (glucose) on the first day caused a 16% increase in hexadecane removal, which is 1.4 times more than the amount of hexadecane removal in the conditions without co-metabolism.Conclusion: The results showed that SSBR could be used as an exit-situation effective method for hexadecane removal in low concentrations through considering the effective factors in its function, such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature. Also, adding the secondary carbon source could be effective in hexadecane removal from the soil. Yet, this effect might vary on different days.
Original Articles
fatemeh ahmadi nezhad; Parvin Abedi; Shahnaz Najar; Mohammad Hossein Haghighi Zadeh
Volume 2, Issue 3 , July 2014, Pages 125-133
Abstract
Background: Preconception counseling is preventive medicine in obstetrics. Preconception care creates an opportunity for examining conditions before pregnancy improving pregnancy outcome. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the adaptation rate of preconception care with the national ...
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Background: Preconception counseling is preventive medicine in obstetrics. Preconception care creates an opportunity for examining conditions before pregnancy improving pregnancy outcome. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the adaptation rate of preconception care with the national standards at health care centers, Ahvaz, 2014.Methods: This descriptive study was conducted at health care centers in 2013 selected randomly. The samples of the study included 385 women at their fertility age who came to receive health services. Researcher observed simultaneous care and filled the related forms. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistic SPSS version 19.Results: Results showed that the presented preconception care as to the case history section was weak for 14.3% of the cases, medium for 42.3% and desirable for the remainders (43.4%). In addition, presented preconception care at test’s section was weak for 38.4% of the cases, medium for 50.1% and desirable for 11.4%. Presented preconception care at exam’s section was weak in 82.3%, medium in 16.9%, and desirable in 0.8%. Presented preconception care at immunization’s section was weak in 42.3% of cases, medium in 43.1%, and desirable in 14.5%. As to resented preconception care at education’s section, it was weak in 81.6% of the cases, medium in 13.8%, and desirable adaptation with the standard guidelines of country in 4.7%. 84.9% of women were completely satisfied with centers, 11.9% relatively satisfied, and just 3.3% were dissatisfied.Conclusion: Presented preconception care at health care centers is not in the same line with the national standard; thus, a more accurate control is needed.
