مجله تحقیقات سلامت در جامعه
سال سوم شماره 1 (بهار 1396)

Introduction and Rock candy is one of the most widely used sugar products in Iran. The use of chemical additives in food products can be a serious threat to human health and environment if it is not accompanied with sufficient monitoring and management. Regarding this, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the amount of sodium dithionite residue in the rock candies produced in the candy making plants of Hamadan, Iran.
This descriptive and analytical study was conducted on the rock candies produced in all the active candy making plants of Hamadan in 2015. The sampling was performed for four months in 20 rock candy producing plants. The concentration of sodium dithionite residue was determined according to the guidelines released by the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16 and Excel 2013 software.
According to the results, sodium dithionite was used as an additive in all rock candy making plants investigated in this study. The highest and lowest concentrations of sodium dithionite were 23.85 and 3.2 mg/kg, respectively. Furthermore, the results indicated that in over 37.5% of total sample size, sodium dithionite concentration was higher than the standard value. The mean concentrations of sodium dithionite in the rock candies produced in March, April, May, and June were 9.7±5.84, 9.49±3.7, 9±3.76, and 7.1±2.99 mg/kg, respectively, which were indicative of significant differences between different months in this regard.
As the findings of the present study indicated, the rock candies produced in the majority of the investigated plants had a high sodium dithionite concentration, which was due to the use of unsuitable main ingredients. Therefore, more monitoring and training are needed for the workshop operators.

Introduction and Despite the wide range of health benefits of physical activity, many people have a sedentary life style. Thus, it is necessary to conduct some interventions to promote physical activity. One of the most widely applied models in the field of exercise behavior is the Transtheoretical Model. In this study, we aimed to determine the effectiveness of an educational program based on the Transtheoretical model (TTM) to increase use of the processes of change for physical activity among the employees of Birjand universities.
This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 76 employees of Birjand universities, who were divided into two groups of intervention and control. The data collection tool was a valid and reliable questionnaire including items on demographic variables, as well as stages and processes of change. The intervention group received three sessions of TTM-based intervention. The questionnaires were completed before, just after, and three months postintervention for the two groups. The data were analyzed by SPSS, version 16.
Immediately after the intervention, there was a significant difference between the case and control groups in terms of the mean scores of cognitive processes (i.e., dramatic relief, self-reevaluation, consciousness-raising, and environmental reevaluation) and behavioral processes (i.e., counterconditioning, stimulus control, and self-liberation). Furthermore, three months after the intervention, a significant increase was noted in the intervention group compared to the control group with respect to mean scores of cognitive processes (i.e., dramatic relief, consciousness-raising, environmental reevaluation, and self-reevaluation) and behavioral processes (helping relationships, contingency management, stimulus control, and self-liberation).
Considering our results, TTM-based interventions targeting the processes of change can be effective in promoting physical activity behavior among employees.

Introduction and Improper posture while working is one of the most important risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders. Regarding this, the aim of this study was to assess the posture of students studying at Qazvin University of Medical Sciences when using the existing best-selling laptop tables using rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) method.
This analytic, cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 male and female dormitory students in 2017. The study population was selected through stratified random sampling technique. The participants’ postures in two different work stations (tables number one and two) were evaluated by means of RULA method. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16 using the independent sample t-test and ANOVA test.
According to the results, 36% and 46% of the students obtained scores of 3 and 4, respectively in case of table number one. Furthermore, regarding table number two, scores 3 and 4 were recorded for 48% and 44% of the participants, respectively. Therefore, tables number one and two were found to have 82% and 92% of level two corrective measure, respectively. In addition, a significant relationship was obtained between the demographic variables and RULA score (P As the findings of the present study indicated, table number one was a better case than table number two for fitting with different body structures since it allowed for the adjustment of the height and inclination of the work surface. However, corrective measures were necessary for both tables to provide the users with comfort, convenience, health, and productivity when using these laptop tables.

Introduction and The need to access and produce clean water is currently felt more than ever by the communities due to the pollution of drinking water sources and the consumers’ growing concern and awareness about the absence of healthy drinking water. As a result, in the recent years, the use of water purification systems has been widely increased in the urban and rural regions of Iran. Regarding this, the aim of the present study was to investigate the causes of the tendency to use home desalination systems in the households of Bandar Lengeh, Hormozgan, Iran.
This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 140 households in the fall of 2014. The study population was selected through simple random sampling technique. The data were collected using a questionnaire enquiring the cause of using home desalination systems among the people living in Bandar Lengeh. Data analysis was performed in SPSS, version 24 using Chi-square test.
According to the results of the present study, none of the investigated households directly used the water distributed in the city for drinking. Only 12.9% of the households used this water for cooking. Therefore, the water distributed in the urban network was mostly used for irrigation as well as washing dishes and clothes. Furthermore, the most frequently reported reasons for the non-use of the water were discoloration of tea and slowing down the cooking of food.
As the findings of the present study indicated, it is not essential to use the domestic purification systems. Accordingly, the tendency to use these systems are mainly raised by incorrect beliefs about this issue. This highlights the necessity of implementing educational programs targeting toward the improvement of the households’ awareness regarding the health issues.

Introduction and Trauma is one of the major cause of mortality and disability in communities and annually leads to the death of millions of people worldwide. Based on the evidence, car accident injuries (especially on religious and cultural events) are at an impressive level in Iran. Regarding this, the aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of trauma patients admitted to Shahid Rajai Hospital, and its relationship with religious, cultural, and national occasions, such as Ramadan, Tasua and Ashura, and so forth.
This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on the trauma patients admitted to Shahid Rajai Hospital in Shiraz, Iran, on religious, cultural, and national occasions during 2009-2014. The data were collected through a checklist, including the demographic data, some questions about the mechanism of the accident (i.e., car and motorcycle accidents, pedestrian injuries, assault, as well as gun and knife attacks), and religious occasions of the admission day (e.g., holidays, Wednesday Feast, Yalda, Tasua and Ashura, and Ramadan). The data were analyzed in SPSS version 17 using the descriptive statistics and the frequency distribution table.
According to the results, on the celebrations and birthdays, the highest number of trauma patient admission was recorded. In addition, the mean number of hospitalized men was significantly higher than that of the women. There was no significant difference in the mean number of the admissions between the first and second half of Nowruz and between the Martyrs’ Days and birthdays regarding the accident mechanisms of the car accident, motorcycle accident, assaults, falls, and unexpected events.
As the findings of the present study indicated, the highest number of the admissinos occurred on the birthdays and celebrations, especially among the males. Therefore, it is suggested that measures be taken to minimize the number of traumatic accidents, especially on holydays, and deliver more care for the pedestrians, motorcyclists, and car drivers in this regard.

Introduction and In this study, we attempted to investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and quality of life in staff of selected hospitals in Golestan Province, Iran.
In this descriptive-analytic study, the study population included all the employees (n=770) of Kordkuy Heart Hospital and Khatam al-Anbia Hospital of Gonbad Kavus, Golestan Province, Iran. The standard sample size was estimated at 256 based on Morgan Table. Considering the probability of subject attrition and to bolster the validity of the study, 300 employees (150 Kurdkuy and 150 Gonbad Kavus) from different occupational groups were randomly selected by stratified sampling. To collect the data, a demographic information form, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and the Lancashire quality of life profile were used. Independent t-test was run in SPSS, version 22.
During the past year, the neck and knee were the most problematic areas, and the elbows and thighs caused the least amount of pain or discomfort among the employees. There was a significant difference between different dimensions of quality of life with consideration of musculoskeletal disorders in different areas of the body. Musculoskeletal disorders in various areas significantly diminished different aspects of quality of life. In the physical aspect of quality of life, the employees suffering from musculoskeletal disorders in all areas were significantly different from those without any problems.
According to the results of this study, musculoskeletal disorders are one of the workplace damages that affect employees’ quality of life. Indeed, in addition to high costs, it undermines physical, mental, and social health, hence low productivity of employees.

Introduction and A large percentage of the world population suffers from hidden hunger, which is defined as micronutrients deficiency. Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common complications of the micronutrients deficiency and there is a lot of effort to deal with this problem. For this purpose, this study aimed to examine the program of flour fortification with iron in Iran.
The cohort, case-control, and clinical trial studies with the search strategies such as iron deficiency anemia, fortification, and micronutrients deficiency, which were conducted until 2015 were included. The data sources entailed PubMed, Ovid, Elsevier Science, Blackwell Synergy, and Google. All the selected studies were available in English and Persian.
In several countries, the best method for correction of the iron deficiency anemia is food fortification due to high efficacy and low adverse effects of this method. Bread is a staple food in Iran; therefore, flour fortification was performed in this country. The premix powder containing 30 ppm of iron and 1.5 ppm of folic acid was used for flour fortification. Considering the various types of wealth, the total amount of iron in flour was up to 80 to 85 ppm that may lead to iron poisoning in people with a low socio-economic status because of high bread consumption, as well as the individuals with high socio-economic status since they receive iron from the other resources. Therefore this program was stopped in several provinces due to the mentioned complication.
Prior to the implementation of this program, it was essential to carry out abundant pilot studies to investigate the probable complications and problems of this plan. To the best of our knowledge, there is limited number of studies conducted on the adverse effects of iron fortification in Iran; therefore, further studies are recommended in this issue.