Journal of Health Scope
Volume:5 Issue: 2, May 2016

Due to the variety of factors involved in TMDs it is not surprising to see a wide range of treatment modalities being suggested for TMD patients. However, one determinant of treatment for TMD that is often overlooked is the practitioner’s knowledge and beliefs about the syndrome itself..
To evaluate changes in experts’ knowledge and beliefs regarding Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) since the administration of the first such survey by Le Resche, Truelove and Dworkin in 1993.
Patients and A survey invitation was emailed to 62 dentists and 19 psychologists, all determined to be experts in the orofacial pain/TMD field. All dentists selected to be part of this survey were members of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain. Psychologists were selected based on their publications in this field. The Le Resche et al. questionnaire was used with the following adaptations: four new statements were inserted; one statement was removed; and a 6-point Likert agreement scale for each statement was used instead of the original 11-point scale. Reminder emails were sent at one week and one month to maximize the response rate. Changes in responses to each item from the original survey were assessed using z-test..
Thirty-four dentists but only three psychologists responded to the survey. Therefore only responses from dentists were used in the analysis. Overall there was a high level of agreement between the original sample and the current sample. Of the 34 original items there was very clear consensus on 24. There was consensus on two new items in the survey on the need for a tomogram and splint therapy..
Twenty years after the original survey, the knowledge and beliefs regarding TMDs among experts in this field have not changed significantly..

There is evidence of high rates of occupational burnout across many health practitioner groups. However, most measures used to assess burnout are lengthy, time consuming to administer, or difficult to interpret. Hence there is a need for the development and assessment of a short easily administered burnout measure for use in research and human resource contexts..
To assess the psychometric performance of a single item burnout measure (SIB) and its association with salient outcome measures in a sample of general practitioners..
Patients and This cross sectional study collected survey data from 92 general practitioners practising in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, Australia. SIB scores were compared with maslach burnout inventory-emotional exhaustion (MBI-EE) scores and examined for association with early retirement intentions, psychological distress and general health. Sensitivity analyses were calculated using the MBI-EE subscale as the reference standard..
SIB scores were highly and positively correlated with MBI-EE scores (r = 0.8, P The results of this study indicates that the single item burnout measure has potential as a brief, sensitive screening measure of burnout due to its brevity, ease of administration and sound psychometric properties and needs to be validated further in larger studies and with other professional groups..

In Denmark, the preventive measures against occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) were intensified in 1995. Apparently, no extant studies have attempted to document the effect of these measures..
This study aims to estimate the prevalence and severity of noise-induced hearing loss after 1995 and to explain the factors that influence the official statistics regarding hearing loss..
Patients and Screening audiograms from 272 noise-exposed workers were studied in an attempt to distinguish between noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and hearing loss resulting from other causes. The results were compared with deductions that could be made from official work environment statistics..
Calculations based on official work environment statistics show that the proportion of NIHL among the reported cases of hearing loss has decreased, so that the proportion of non-NIHL has increased. Further, the severity of occupational NIHL has decreased. Among the 272 tested persons, 88 (32%) presumably had NIHL. A combination of NIHL and hearing losses of other causes was found in 28 (10%), while 43 (16%) had a hearing loss that could not be NIHL. Normal hearing was found in 113 (42%). Overall, roughly, one third of the tested persons had NIHL, and among the 159 cases with hearing loss, a factor other than noise played a role. The measures against NIHL have had a positive effect. When, nevertheless, the annually reported number of cases continues to rise, it is because minimal NIHL cases and cases that are not NIHL are included in the statistics. The present study suggests that the non-NIHL group may amount to about 40 % of the reported cases. The official statistics should be refined to take this confounding aspect into account..
Despite rising figures of reported occupational hearing loss, working NBII statistics show that the NIHL problem in the Danish work environment has, in fact, decreased. In our study, we found that roughly one third (around 100 cases) of the 272 screened persons presumably had NIHL, taking into account 88 probable cases (Column B) and 44 questionable ones (Column C 16 ski slopes). About 45% of those who did not pass the screening had a hearing loss in which noise could be, at the most, a contributory factor. In 116 cases of probable or possible NIHL, the average hearing loss was only 33 dB, and in only 11 cases (9%) was the hearing loss considered severe enough to qualify for compensation. Our audiometric findings are, in all probability, valid for similar plants in this country and suggest that the noise problem is reasonably under control. This corroborates the deductions that can be made from the official statistics. It is evident, therefore, that NIHL incidence and severity can be reduced in countries that implement and enforce appropriate work environment legislation. However, documentation of the effect requires data storage and retrieval systems that can distinguish between NIHL and non-NIHL cases and are also able to grade the severity of NIHL..

Several factors are responsible for overuse of the internet among young adults. The practice can lead to internet addiction (IA). In addition, users’ happiness may be an important factor related to IA, and should be assessed..
The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of internet addiction (IA) and its relationship to happiness among students enrolled at the Zahedan University of Medical Sciences (ZUMS) in southeastern Iran..
Patients and This cross-sectional study was carried out on 380 medical students at ZUMS in 2015. The subjects were selected using the stratified random sampling method. The data were collected using Yang Standard Internet Addiction and Oxford Happiness questionnaires, and were analyzed in Stata.12 software using bivariate and multiple logistic regression with the Hosmer-Lemshow method..
The prevalences of IA among males and females were 33.8% (95% CI: 26.1 - 41.5) and 20% (95% CI: 14.9 - 25.1), respectively. The results of logistic regression analyses revealed that gender (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.48 - 2.48), average grades (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81 - 0.99), and happiness scores (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.75 - 0.98) were statistically significantly associated with IA. However, IA was not associated with subjects’ age, semester of study, residential area, or school of education (P > 0.05)..
The prevalence of IA among medical students in southeast Iran was high and affected by happiness. Increasing happiness with the provision of various programs may prevent IA problems among students and may improve their educational situation..

Traffic is a source of both noise and air pollution, contributing more than 50% of the total environmental noise and air pollution load of urban areas..
The objective of the research was evaluation of seasonal variations of the average traffic pollution level (ATPL) in terms of traffic noise and concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2 in curbside open-air microenvironments in Kolkata, India..
Number of total motorized vehicles (TMV) traffic noise, and PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations were monitored repeatedly in the microenvironments of 21 major roads between 08:00 a.m. and 08:00 p.m. in the post-monsoon (winter) and pre-monsoon (summer) seasons. Simultaneous data on air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed were collected from a roof-top automated weather monitoring station. The exceedance factor (EF) was calculated for traffic noise level and concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2. The average exceedance factor (AEF) was calculated to determine ATPL of the microenvironments in terms of traffic noise level and air pollutant concentrations. Interseasonal variations between the same variables were assessed with post-monsoon to pre-monsoon (W/S) ratio and correlation analysis..
ATPL was 3.35 times higher in the post-monsoon and 1.83 times higher in the pre-monsoon season than the permissible limits prescribed by the central pollution control board of India with respect to traffic noise level and PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations. W/S ratio and interseasonal correlation were 1.03 and 0.95, respectively, for TMV; 1.00 and 0.68 for traffic noise level; 2.40 and -0.11 for PM2.5 concentration; 1.74 and 0.19 for NO2 concentration; and 1.92 and 0.01 for AEF..
ATPL was higher in the post-monsoon season. W/S ratio and correlation analysis revealed interseasonal homogeneity of TMV and traffic noise levels and interseasonal heterogeneity of air pollutant concentrations and ATPL in the city microenvironments..

Air emission modeling is used to study how pollutants are spread in the environment and to forecast their emissions rate in different climatic conditions in the study area. Today, air pollution threatens human public health and the environment, and Ahvaz is considered one of the main centers of air pollution in Iran..
This aim of this study was to evaluate the nitrogen dioxide distribution in Ahvaz by using the software program Screen 3..
This analytical study was conducted in 2013 in Ahvaz. Data collections were performed by the Ahvaz Department of Environment. After processing the data received (averaging instruction set, coding), the file was converted to an input file for the software program Screen 3. In the next phase, study of the distribution and release of nitrogen dioxide during the year 2013 was modeled using the Screen 3 software..
Based on the results of this study, the highest and the lowest nitrogen dioxide concentration were in the Bureau of Meteorology and Head office of ADoE stations, respectively. The maximum concentration of NO2, at a height of 45 m, was 20 μg/m3.According to the findings of the modeling, examination of the combustion process was observed, and this was caused by the amount of nitrogen dioxide emitted by flue outlets, which was affected by temperature and pressure, fuel flow rates and inlet air temperature. Also, results showed that in most cases emission of air pollutants was towards the southwest..
Results of this study showed that the Screen3 software is one of the popular models for estimating the distribution of air pollutants. Nitrogen dioxide emissions are highly regulated in most industrialized regions. Decreased emissions from fuel combustion, the use of scrubbers and filters that absorb pollution can be very useful for reduction and control of nitrogen dioxide emissions..

Puberty is one of the most critical periods in human beings’ development, which is accompanied by psychological and social changes. These changes create new needs and meeting them enables adolescents to adapt better and faster..
The aim of this study was to identify the health-related counseling needs of adolescent girls to assist them in this period of development..
Forty teenage (13 - 19-year-old) girls, who had at least experienced 3 menstrual cycles, participated in this qualitative study. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The content analysis method was used to analyze the data..
Adolescent girls’ counseling needs were categorized into 33 codes, 10 groups and 3 main clusters: physical, psychological, and social. The most important physical counseling needs were issues related to menstruation, hygiene, coping with dysmenorrhea, and issues related to menstrual irregularities and genital infections. With respect to the psychological counseling needs, withdrawal, sensitivity toward criticism, restlessness, instability, irritability, and mood swings were among the important issues mentioned by the participants. Regarding the social counseling needs, most girls stated that they liked to socialize with their peers and dress and act like their friends..
Adolescents girls need a comprehensive counseling program to improve their health status..

Psychological hardiness is a protective personality characteristic against life stresses that plays a major role in improving one’s ability to cope with environmental pressures..
Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the mental health status, psychological hardiness, and the correlation between the two in workers of the Pars special economic energy zone in 2010 with a special emphasis on demographic factors, such as age, sex, marital status, job status, field of action, and job experience..
This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted amongst 743 workers of the Pars special economic energy zone. Stratified sampling was carried out. Data were collected using a general health questionnaire, a psychological hardiness scale, and a demographic characteristics questionnaire. Frequency distribution, means and standard deviations (SD) were calculated; Spearman’s ρ test, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U-test for evaluating the correlation between the variables were also used. The cut-off value for statistical significance was set at 0.05 or lower..
Findings showed that the mental health score had significant but reverse correlation with psychological hardiness (P = 0.002, r = -0.50). In 44% of the workers, the general health questionnaire score was higher than the cut-off point; the psychological hardiness score in this group of workers was also significantly lower than those with a mental health score below the cut-off point. This study also demonstrated that female gender, a younger age, being single or widowed, being a non-rotational shift worker, and working in the operational units were associated with poorer mental health and a lower psychological hardiness score..
Findings of this study showed the importance of psychological hardiness in maintaining mental health. Special attention should be paid to maintaining and improving the mental health of workers in the Pars special economic energy zone. One of the main principles involved in the sustainable and integrated development of a company is healthy human resources in all aspects, including physical, mental, and social health. Therefore, the current situation necessitates designing evidence-based interventions focusing on vulnerable subgroups..

Soil pollution due to toxic metals released by industrial activities such as cement production is a serious problem from the standpoints of the environment and public health, because they tend to persist, circulating indefinitely and, eventually, accumulating throughout the food chain..
This paper presents the results of the first research study into the distribution of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in soils around the Hegmatan cement factory, located in the Hamedan province of western Iran..
Twenty instances of 20-cm depth soil samples were collected from the northern, southern, eastern, and western axes of the factory from two distances. Soil samples were subjected to a pseudo acid digestion, an HNO3, and an HCl procedure. The concentrations of Pb and Cd were detected using the AAS..
Based on the results of the laboratories analysis, a wide range in concentrations of Pb was found in the soil samples. The mean concentration of Pb was found to be 5.12 ± 5.74 mg/kg. The Cd concentration in soil samples exhibited a narrow range of variations, with a mean concentration of Cd in that soil of 0.13 ± 0.038 mg/kg. There were no significant differences observed in the content of Pb and Cd at different distances from the factory. Further, the results revealed that there was a significant difference between the north, south, and western sampling sites, with the highest soil cadmium concentration in the south..
The Cd and Pb concentrations in all soil samples of the study area were less than the value of maximum allowable limit for Cd and Pb in soils, showing these metals in the studied area are considered safe. Human activities have had less influence on lead and cadmium concentration in soils in these locations. Therefore, the total Cd and Pb content found in these soils may be from parent materials..

Promotion of physical activity is one of the most effective strategies for reducing the risk of certain chronic and non-communicable diseases.
To investigate the effect of an educational intervention, based on the transtheoretical model of stages of change of physical activity, on the employees of Abu Musa Island, in the south of Iran.
Different offices of Abu Musa Island including those for health, education, municipalities, civil, government, telecommunications, and welfare were divided randomly into intervention and control groups such that three offices were in intervention group and the rest were in control group. Forty employees were randomly selected from each group intervention and control and asked to complete survey questionnaires before, three, and six months after the educational intervention based on transtheoretical model. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 19. Sample t-test, repeated measure analysis and Wilcoxon tests were used to analyze the data.
Stages of change of physical activity in the intervention group changed significantly three (P

Among ambient air pollutants, particulate matter (PM) has the most undesired adverse effects on human health. Many studies have reported that there is a strong correlation between PM concentrations and hospital admissions due to chronic or acute respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the relationship between air quality and health endpoints of PM10 in Khorramabad, Iran.
The PM10 sampling was carried out with a high-volume sampler at a flow rate of 1.1 - 1.4 m3/min from January through December 2014. Meteorological data was also collected and evaluated. The total mortality and morbidity rates were calculated using the AirQ2.2.3 software model.
The highest concentrations of PM10 were obtained in July, with the mean concentration of 136.48 µg/m3. Eastern and southeastern winds are the prevailing and semi-prevailing winds in Khorramabad. The worst air quality was also observed in July. The total mortality rate during the study was estimated to be 320 persons.
In order to diminish the health impacts of particulate matter in Khorramabad, health training for the public, especially for persons with chronic lung and heart diseases, the elderly, and children, should be conducted by health systems to encourage them to reduce their activities during dusty days.