Archives of Hygiene Sciences
Volume:9 Issue: 4, Autumn 2020

Background & Aims:

 of the Study:  One of the most important harmful factors in big cities is noise, and traffic is regarded as the most important source of noise pollution. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of people in Kermanshah, Iran, regarding the potential effects of noise pollution on their health.

A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data from 340 respondents residing in 34 identified stations in the city that were considered urban areas. The questionnaire sought information about knowledge, attitude, and practice level of people in Kermanshah, Iran, regarding the effects of traffic noise pollution on human health in spring 2017.

According to the results, 3.57% of the participants believed that mass media notification could be effective in controlling noise pollution (relatively high and positive); however, only 3.27% of the respondents utilized sound control methods (poor level of performance). Furthermore, 5.21% of the cases highlighted the effectiveness of the first floor of the buildings as a noise reduction factor for other blocks in a building complex (low level of awareness).

Citizens in Kermanshah, Iran, obtained a low level of awareness and performance about the effects of noise pollution; however, they had a much higher and better attitude toward this issue. Accordingly, educational programs should be implemented to increase their levels of awareness and performance.

Background & Aims:

 of the Study: Organizational health in hospitals can reduce medical errors, increase the quality of care, improve organizational learning, and enhance collaboration, innovation, and cost reduction. The remarkable success of successful organizations lies in organizational culture and employee beliefs. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between organizational culture and organizational health in the employees of Iran teaching hospitals.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 946 employees of public hospitals in Iran, in 2019, including all the employees of 17 hospitals selected by random clustering. The assessment tools were the standard questionnaires of Edgard Schein’s Organizational Culture and Organizational Health Inventory. One-sample t-test was used to determine the organizational health of the selected hospitals. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was also utilized to determine the relationship between organizational culture and organizational health. Furthermore, the data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 25).

The descriptive findings of the present study showed that 69% of the study subjects were female, and most (37%) of the respondents were within the age range of 40-49 years. In addition, about (61.7%) and (23%) of the participants had a bachelor’s degree and 10-14 years of work experience, respectively. Moreover, the results of this study based on Pearson’s correlation coefficients demonstrated that there was a positive and significant correlation between the component of organizational culture with organizational health (r=0.94) and all the dimensions of organizational health component at the institutional (r=0.92), administrative (r=0.92), and technical (r =0.93) levels with a 95% confidence interval (P≤0.05).

The results of this study indicated that there was a positive and significant correlation between the component of organizational culture with organizational health and its dimensions. Therefore, it is necessary to make decisions focusing on the organizational culture of hospitals and steps to coordinate individuals’ values and norms for the promotion of organizational culture. It is also recommended to improve organizational health.

Background & Aims :

of the Study: Since beta-thalassemia is the most commonly inherited disease in Iran, its preventive and controlling programs are considered vitally important in the healthcare system. This study was conducted to investigate the incidence rate and epidemiology of major beta-thalassemia (MBT) over the last twenty years in Kerman, Iran.

This cross-sectional study, as a kind of health system research, carried was out on all patients with beta-thalassemia (born from March 1998 to March 2018) registered in Kerman Health Center. The data, extracted from the national records of genetic diseases, were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16) using Fisherchr('39')s exact test.

Based on the results of the present study, the incidence rate of MBT was calculated at 0.99 cases per 10,000 live births. According to this result, 29 subjects with MBT were born from 1998 to 2018. The most important cause of thalassemia was determined as non-identification of thalassemia minor in carrier couples and their lack of awareness about their complication (62%). The other cause was the non-cooperation of screened carrier couples in attending prenatal diagnosis (20.7%). It was revealed that in 23 MBT cases, the parents were relatives (79.3%). The diagnosis of 62% of patients had been made before they turned one year.

It is recommended that the following measures been adopted to avoid MBT incidence: strengthening the care team, cooperating with gynecologists in identifying pregnant women suspected of having thalassemia minor in the first weeks of pregnancy and referring them to genetic counseling centers for condition determination, educating families and changing carrier couples attitudes toward abortion, monitoring and improving screening laboratories, and implementing public education programs for specific groups.

Background & Aims:

 of the Study: Selenium is an essential nutritional material used for the important functions of the human body. The issue of the production of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) was investigated in various fields, such as anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities.

In order to study antibacterial activity, the nutrient broth medium containing synthesized SeNPs in six different concentrations (i.e., 100, 50, 25, and 12.5 µM) was evaluated on six pathogenic bacteria. Then, the growth curves were drawn as an antibacterial assay in six pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the antioxidant effect was examined by the 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method. The stock solution of SeNPs was mixed with culture media in six different concentrations (i.e., 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μM) and exposed on MCF-7 and HT-29 cell lines; therefore, the anticancer effects of SeNPs were assayed by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method.

According to the obtained results, the most and least significant antibacterial effects of synthesized SeNPs were observed for Staphylococcus aureus (98%) and Klebsiella pneumonia (51.55%), respectively. The highest concentration of biosynthesized SeNPs can achieve a better outcome regarding the antioxidant activity. The growth of MCF-7 and HT-29 cancer cell lines were inhibited by synthesized SeNPs in a concentration of 100 µM

Consequently, the results of the present study showed that SeNPs synthesized from indigenous halophilic bacteria could display anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. This progress can assist in the treatment of different diseases.

Background & Aims :

of the Study:  The present study investigates the factors affecting the implementation of health strategies for the development of student sports in public universities. This study aims to show how the necessary contexts and opportunities are provided for students to achieve a healthy, dynamic, vibrant, recreational, and competitive environment. Also, student sports participation, pleasure, and subsequent attractiveness prevent social deviations, abnormal behaviors, and unhealthy entertainment.

 The statistical sample of this study consisted of 19 former and current general managers of the General Department of Physical Education, experts, faculty members, and PhD students in the sports management of public universities with a significant role and sufficient experience in the field of sports activities and occupations. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean comparison test, and Friedman test.

 The findings of the present study showed that out of 1 million public university students, less than 2% of the students participated in student sports. The importance of multiple educational centers in the field of physical education, large student population in different age ranges, highest coverage of university centers across the country, and largest budget excluding had made the position of student sports in the Directorate General of Physical Education in the domain of strengths and opportunities in the SWOT matrix. It means using the strengths to get the most out of opportunities.

It is possible to highlight the health and well-being strategies for the development of student sports based on the analysis of the obtained results and provide them to the directors and officials of university sports.

Background & Aims:

 of the Study: Heavy metals are among the most dangerous environmental pollutants entering the air, water, and soil through human and natural activities with the potential of poisoning, pathogenicity, and carcinogenicity to living organisms and humans. The current study aimed to determine the contamination of heavy metals, including lead, zinc, copper, arsenic, chromium, and cadmium, in the surface soils of Ahvaz, Iran, using pollution indicators and health risk assessment.

Sampling of surface soils in Ahvaz with 227 soil samples was performed in August 2017 based on the regular networks of 1 × 1 km. The measurement of heavy metals was carried out by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry.

The mean concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Cd, and As in the surface soils of Ahvaz were reported as 180.99, 88.61, 185.13, 101.59, 5.63, and 8.97 mg/kg, respectively. Based on the contamination factor (CF), pollution index (PI), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), and ecological risk, the highest levels of pollution were related to Cd and Pb, and the lowest level was associated with Cr. The enrichment factor (EF) of heavy metals showed moderate contamination of Cr, high contamination levels of Cu, Cd, and As, and very high contamination levels of Pb and Zn. According to the Nemro Integrated Pollution Index (NIPI), 3% and 55% of the surface soils of Ahvaz showed high and low levels of pollution, respectively. The daily absorption of heavy metals through ingestion in children and adults was higher than that through respiration and dermal contact. The highest risk index was related to Cr and As through ingestion for children, and the lowest risk index was associated with Zn through respiration in adults.

The levels of As, Cr, and Cd in the surface soil of Ahvaz were higher than the Iran soil standard values; however, the levels of Pb, Zn, and Cu were lower. Based on the CF, PI, Igeo, and ecological risk, the surface soils were highly contaminated with Cd and Pb. According to the EF, Pb and Zn showed the highest levels of contamination. Based on the NIPI, the pollution of heavy metals was reported at low levels. The highest and lowest values of metals carcinogenicity were related to Cr in children and Pb in adults, respectively.

Background & Aims:

 of the Study: Heavy metal contamination of soils, due to improper consumption of materials, such as different agrochemicals and pesticides, has caused major concerns in previous decades. Eghlid county, in the south of Iran, represents an area with contaminated soil by heavy metal which is due to the long-term use of fertilizers in cultivation. In this regard, the present study aimed to examine the spatial distribution of cadmium (Cd) contamination of soil and the soil properties that affect the Cd concentration in soil using geostatistical methods.

This study was performed on 100 randomly selected surface soil samples. Some of the physical and chemical properties of the samples were measured, including calcium carbonate, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, soil texture, and organic matter. Cadmium concentration in samples was measured through the aqua regia method using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The spatial distribution and temporal variation of data were carried out using the Kriging interpolation method and geographic information systems.

According to the results of geostatistical analyses, the semi-variogram of Cd, calcium carbonate, pH, and EC in the studied area followed a linear model, while that of the organic matter followed an exponential pattern. Moreover, the mean value of Cd concentration in the studied area was 2.80 mg kg-1 which indicated that most of the area had a high concentration of Cd, according to the Kriging map. Furthermore, based on the spatial distribution pattern of the soil characteristics, the percentage of clay in the northern and central parts of the studied area was found to be more than the southeastern sections. Besides, pH and carbonate calcium rates were higher in the northeast and southeast regions. In addition, the northern part of the studied area contained higher rates of EC and organic matter.

Based on the findings, it can be argued that human activities, such as the excessive use of fertilizers, have had a significant effect on the increase in Cd concentration in the studied area.

Background & Aims :

of the Study: Food-borne diseases which are among the most important public health issues are responsible for a significant number of diseases and deaths every year. The present study aimed to investigate the outbreak of food- and water-borne diseases in  Khansar, Isfahan, in 2017.

This descriptive cross-sectional utilized retrospective descriptive epidemiology to investigate the outbreak of water and food-borne diseases in the Vist region of Khansar in 2017. To investigate the outbreak, the pattern of "epidemiological review and reporting" was used. Data were analyzed in Excel and SPSS software (version 22).

The current study was conducted on 291 patients. Regarding gender, the male to female ratio was 1. In terms of age, the age groups of 15-5 years (24.4%) and 25-40 years (23.4%) had the highest frequency of disease, respectively. With respect to occupation, the highest frequency of the disease was related to housewives (30.2%) and students (28.2%), respectively. The most common symptoms were diarrhea associated with vomiting and vomiting with cramps. Laboratory results were negative for microbial contamination and parasites but positive for the virus. After sending three other samples to the laboratory, the type of virus was identified as norovirus.

Water was most likely responsible for the transmission of this disease due to the following reasons: the consistency of epidemiological studies, propagated epidemiologic curve, uniformity of exposure, and susceptibility of all people to this disease, as well as the recognition of norovirus as the causative agent in laboratory tests.