مجله تحقیقات سلامت در جامعه
سال ششم شماره 4 (زمستان 1399)

  Chlorophenol is one of the most dangerous and toxic pollutants in industrial effluents and wastewater. The removal of this material from groundwater and surface water is considered a serious problem. This study aimed to evaluate the degradability of 4-Chlorophenol using microwave / Na2S2O8 / Fe2+ process.

In this quasi-experimental study, the effects of variables, including initial pollutant concentration (0.5-5 mM), contact time (0-30 min), pH (3-11), persulfate concentration (8-80 mM), a dosage of Fe2+ (0.01-0.1 mM), and power output (180-600 W) were investigated on the removal of 4-chlorophenol in a modified domestic microwave. The residual 4-chlorophenol concentration was then measured using a spectrophotometer at 280 nm. The mineralization rate at optimum conditions was determined by assessing the total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate according to the B 5310 standard. Moreover, kinetic models of the process were investigated.

In this study, the optimum removal efficiency of 4-chlorophenol by microwave / Na2S2O8 / Fe2+ process was obtained at 91.38% at 60 mM sodium persulfate concentration, pH = 11, 0.5 mM initial concentration of 4-chlorophenol, and the presence of 600 W microwave radiation at 30 min exposure. In addition, it was revealed that 77% of TOC was removed at optimum conditions. The data followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model.

 The MW / Na2S2O8 / Fe2+ process can be used as a post-treatment or final treatment of effluent considering the treatment objectives and existing standards for effluent discharge.

Accreditation is a process in which a foreign institution systematically measures and evaluates the credibility of an organization in terms of process, outcome, and structural indicators. This study aimed to identify the effective challenges in the implementation of the accreditation process and achieve a comprehensive model to improve and enhance the accreditation process.

This study was performed in two stages. In the first stage, a review of studies was conducted to identify the challenges affecting the implementation of hospital accreditation in Iran. In the second stage, the content validity method was used to recognize the most important challenges affecting the implementation of accreditation. Subsequently, to investigate the relationships among factors and determine the most effective and impressionable variables, quantitative interpretive structural modeling technique was used.

The most effective variables with a driving power of 11 and dependence power of 4 were found to be the lack of necessary infrastructure, nurses, clinical staff, and other personnel; limited resources and capital; not considering the appropriate budget for the implementation of the accreditation program; and non-compliance of some standards with national and provincial conditions. On the other hand, the least influential variables on challenges affecting the implementation of hospital accreditation with a driving power of 1 were reported to be the challenge in the degree of independence, impartiality, personal judgments, and differences of evaluatorschr('39') tastes, as well as the poor patient-medical team communication.

 It is necessary to find the main and effective factors in accreditation and establish a relationship between them to achieve the more effective implementation of accreditation. Therefore, it would be possible to provide a clear framework for determining the best policies to control and manage accreditation and ultimately prevent the waste of resources in the health sector. This research provided new insights into the challenges affecting the implementation of accreditation, which identify the priorities for action in decision-making and policy-making.

Traffic accidents and casualties are one of the current challenges of human societies endangering human health and imposing a heavy economic burden on communities. It is of utmost importance to identify the psychological causes and factors affecting the occurrence or severity of traffic accidents. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the effects of traffic behavior on the occurrence of accidents in Azarshahr, Iran, in 2019.

The present descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 260 drivers in Azarshahr who were selected via simple randomization. The instrument used for data collection was the standard Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ). Data were analyzed in  SPSS software (version 18) using descriptive statistics and Pearsonchr('39')s correlation coefficient.  

The mean age of participants was 35.32± 9.59 years, driving history was 10.94±7.98 years, and daily driving time was 3.19±2.69 hours. The results of the present study suggested that slips had the largest share in the occurrence of accidents. The mean scores of slips, intentional violations, errors, and unintentional violations were obtained at 1.42, 1.18, 1.03, and 1.07, respectively. The number of accidents demonstrated a significant relationship with gender, age, education, type of vehicle, driving time, and place of residence (P<0.05).

As evidenced by the obtained results, some factors, such as gender, age, education, and driving time, play a significant role in the occurrence of accidents in Azarshahr. Therefore, it is necessary to hold workshops to modify driverschr('39') behaviors and attitudes.

During the past decade, the scientific community has noticed the important impacts of suspended dust in the air on climate, human health, the environment, and various socio-economic sectors. The dust concentration has a negative relationship with human health so that the increase of dust concentration leads to an increase in the number of patients with heart and respiratory diseases, and human health is seriously threatened. The undesirable phenomenon of dust storms is one of the natural disasters that affect Zabol city due to its geographical location and proximity to the dried bed of Hamoon wetland. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the temporal changes in dust concentrations over a 10-year period in Zabol city.

The concentration of dust particles (PM10) was measured using fixed air pollution measuring devices during a period of 10 years from 2009 to 2019. All data were recorded on a daily and annual basis and the variations during this period were examined in this study. The given data were measured and analyzed based on the air quality index in order to evaluate the air quality changes.  

In this study, the average annual concentration of PM10 has been 405, 425, 451, 659, 532, 152, 222, 196, 170, and 67 μg/m3, respectively, from 2009 to 2019. The highest particle concentration was determined at 4932 µg/m3 in the summer of 2016, which was the result of  120-day storms, the dried bed of Hamoon wetland, and the transfer of dust particles.

According to the standard, the concentration of PM10 should not exceed 50 µg/m3; however, this value has reached several times the standard limit and 33 times the standard limit at maximum during the 10-year period.

The concentration of some indoor pollutants is often recognized as higher than that in the outdoor. Accordingly, household air pollution is currently considered one of the most important public health concerns worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) pollutants in the air of houses in Khesht, Fars Province, Iran. Moreover, it was attempted to evaluate the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of these compounds in respiratory air for housewives.

Air samples were taken from 30 houses according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Manual of Analytical Method no. 1501 and were analyzed using the gas chromatography/flame ionization detector to measure BTEX  compounds. In addition, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of target compounds in respiratory air for housewives during one year were assessed in this study. Mann Whitney U and Spearman correlation tests were applied to analyze the data in SPSS software (version 23). A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

 According to the results, the benzene, toluene, and xylenes concentrations varied from 0.06 to 1.76, 0.1 to 0.96, and 0.01 to 0.97 µg / m3, respectively. Moreover, ethylbenzene levels in all samples were below the detection limit. A significant linear and positive relationship was observed between benzene and toluene concentrations (P<0.05). Furthermore, the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk for benzene in all samples was reported to be significantly lower than the standard (1×10-6) recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, the calculated hazard quotient for benzene, toluene, and xylene was less than one in this study.

The WHO has not considered any safe restrictions on exposure to benzene, especially indoors in which people spend more time. However, even the low concentrations of these indoor pollutants are dangerous to human health, especially housewives. Therefore, in order to reduce the concentration of these pollutants and other BTEX compounds, it is recommended to reduce or eliminate those human activities that release BTEX compounds and use appropriate ventilation methods.

Emotional intelligence has a crucial role in organizational performance, especially in the health domains facing high levels of emotions and challenges. Given that emotional intelligence is a skill based on competency that can be learned, it provides training in specific competencies causing the expansion and improvement of quality performance. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence on the quality of service delivery of health care providers.

The present descriptive-analytical study was conducted in regions supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 2019. A total of 500 individuals (including 250 health care providers and 250 clients of the health centers) were selected using random cluster sampling. Two valid questionnaires were used for data gathering, namely Schering’s Emotional Intelligence and SERVQUAL. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and correlation and regression analyses in SPSS software (version 21).

 The results of the present study showed a significant positive relationship between emotional intelligence and quality of services (r=0.45; P=0.001). The dimensions determined the relationships respectively between self-awareness with responsiveness, assurance, reliability, empathy, and tangibles. Regression results also showed that 20% of the changes in the service quality variable based on the emotional intelligence of health care providers can be explained. Two-way ANOVA demonstrated that the interactive effect of age and experience on emotional intelligence was significant (P<0.01).

Considering the impact of the quality of service delivery in the health system on all aspects of personal and social life, paying attention and providing training of emotional intelligence dimensions for health care providers can improve the quality of service delivery and satisfaction.

The competence of healthcare and treatment staff, including health network staff, is increasingly being paid attention to. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship of hardiness with self-efficacy and job stress among healthcare network staff at Baft city, Kerman Province, Iran.

This descriptive cross-sectional correlational study was conducted on 255 employees working in the healthcare network of Baft city, 2019, who were selected using a random sampling method. The instruments utilized to collect data included questionnaires, namely the Hardiness Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Job Stress Questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) and LISREL software (version 8.8) using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and structural equation modeling.

The results showed that hardiness and its components, including commitment, control, and challenge could have a positive and significant effect on self-efficacy (P=0.186, P=0.48, P=0.37, and P=0.42, respectively).  Moreover, it was revealed that job stress had an inverse relationship with hardiness and its components, namely commitment, control, and challenge (P=-0.143, P=-0.39, P=-0.31, and P=-0.34, respectively ).

Based on the results, hardiness and its components could predict self-efficacy and job stress and be effective in increasing and decreasing it, respectively. Consequently, it is suggested to improve the performance of the healthcare network staff by holding hardiness training courses as a personality-acquired trait.

The hospital wastewater plumbing system and ventilation systems can be possible routes of transmission of infectious agents, such as coronaviruses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to review the conducted studies in this regard to determine the mechanism and possibility of transmission of coronaviruses through ventilation systems and wastewater plumbing in hospitals.

In this narrative review, all the articles published in English since 2000 up to September 2020 on the possibility of transmitting coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, through ventilation systems and wastewater plumbing in hospitals were reviewed. These studies were obtained by searching the databases, including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed, using several keywords, such as “Coronavirus”, “SARS-CoV-2”, “COVID-19”, “Ventilation Systems”, and “Wastewater Plumbing Systems”.  

Coronaviruses can enter wastewater through several sources, such as hand washing, sputum, vomit, and feces. Without proper maintenance and continuous monitoring, review, implementation, and update of building standards and practices, improper plumbing and sewage systems can continue to spread severe acute respiratory syndrome and some other infectious diseases. In addition, the factors, such as poor ventilation and recirculation, increase the potential for the viruses to spread indoors.

The obtained results of the current study showed that the plumbing system is not a common method of transmitting the viruses, and the most prevalent route of transmission is considered respiratory droplets. Therefore, maintaining social distance and personal hygiene are among the most effective ways to prevent the transmission of coronaviruses.