مجله تحقیقات سلامت در جامعه
سال پنجم شماره 2 (تابستان 1398)

Hospitals are among the major centers in the production of pharmaceutical wastes. Ineffective management and inappropriate disposal of pharmaceutical wastes in various healthcare centers cause environmental problems and threaten human health. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the composition and amount of the production rate of pharmaceutical wastes in a specialized hospital in Tehran, Iran, in 2017.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in a specialized hospital under the supervision of Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran in 2017. For waste sampling, 19 active sections were selected in the present study. Method of separating and weighing wastes was used in this study. Finally, the total amount, production per bed, density, and weight percentage of waste components were determined in the present study.

According to the results, it was shown that the mean value of waste production was 60.14±5.81 kg/day in the studied hospital. Moreover, the waste production rate per bed was 85g/bed/day, and its density was obtained at 356.99±70.26 kg/m2. Results of physical analysis showed that 44.34% of vial and ampoule lesions, 12.4% of syringe lesions, 22.31% of buttocks and serum sets, and 29.24% of various lesions constituted the components. It should be noted that about 67.25% of vial lesions were related to antibiotics. Based on the findings, meroxan, cefazolin, and ciprofloxacin with 19.95%, 17.43%, and 14.56% were reported as the highest rates among the antibiotics, respectively.

According to the obtained results of this study, the presence of household-like and infectious wastes among the components of pharmaceutical wastes indicated the proper separation. Proper separation of wastes leads to a lower amount of wastes and reduces management costs. In this regard, hospital managers should pay more attention to the management of these wastes.

Self-care and patients education is the core of diabetes care and control. Family as the most fundamental pillar of society is responsible for the provision of proper and appropriate health care. The current study aimed to investigate the family-oriented empowerment model on self-care behaviors of patients with Type 2 diabetes in Neka.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on patients with diabetes mellitus referring to comprehensive rural health centers in Naka. They were randomly assigned into two groups of intervention and control. The intervention group received training for three months. Data collection instrument included  Summary of Diabetes Self Care Activities(SCSCA) questionnaire consisting of two parts, namely demographic characteristics and dimensions of self-care activities(including diet, random blood glucose, physical activity, foot care, fasting blood sugar). The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS software( version 24).

Based on the results of the study,  there was a significant difference in the mean scores before and after the intervention in terms of blood sugar, dietary control, and self-care behaviors (P <0.05). However, the mean scores before and after intervention in foot care, insulin consumption, and Physical activity was not significantly different (P> 0.05).

The results were indicative of the impact of family-Oriented empowerment education on most self-care behaviors of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Noise pollution can exert negative effects on mental health. In this regard, the present study aimed to evaluate the noise levels in sugar factory of Debal Khozaei agro-industry complex in 2018.

For the current study, sound and audio parameters were measured using a sound meter. These audio parameters included sound pressure level and minimum and maximum values measured in 9 units located in the interior space of the factory entailing 38 study stations  with 30 points in open space. It is worthy to note that sound measurements were performed twice a week in morning and afternoon shifts at time intervals of 15 min. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16) using the ANOVA test.

Based on the results, the maximum and minimum sound pressure levels of power plants and white sugar warehouse were 0.86 ± 91.10 and 0.44 ± 91.10 dB, respectively. Additionally, the comparison of the average sound pressure level at different stations in the power plant and raw sugar production units, as well as some stations in the sugar refinery, lime kiln, and boiler exceeded the standard limit of 85 dB. However, this value was found to be below standard in the open space of the factory.

The ongoing monitoring along with the application of noise reduction techniques is recommended due to the excessive noise levels in some parts of the factory.

The learning environment affects the development and growth of a learner in an educational institution. Academic vitality and motivation are among the determining factors of success in the educational system. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the academic vitality and motivation of students based on their perception of the learning environment in Abadan School of Medical Sciences, Iran.

This descriptive-analytical study was performed on the study population of all students of Abadan School of Medical Sciences. The sample size was calculated as 283 people and the samples were selected through simple random sampling method. The data were collected by the researchers using the questionnaires of learning environment evaluation and academic vitality and motivation. All the data were statistically analyzed by Pearson’s correlation test and regression test utilizing the SPSS software version 18.

Our findings demonstrated that there was a positive correlation between learning vitality and the perception of students of the learning environment. Moreover, the perceptions of students of the learning environment could be predictive of their educational vitality and academic motivation. All the components of the perception of students of the learning environment were able to predict the vitality of students. It should be noted that among the components of perception of the learning environment, only the aspect of the perception of the educational environment had a significant role in predicting academic motivation.

According to the results of the present study, a better understanding of students of the learning environment leads to higher motivation toward academic achievement in diverse educational and research fields. Furthermore, the improvement of the learning environment enhances the academic vitality of students in terms of responding to the confronted challenges and obstacles in educational environments.

Hospitals are seeking for maximum patient satisfaction, especially in the Pediatric Wards. This study investigated whether employees’ satisfaction correlated with maternal satisfaction, quality of services, and recovery process of children in a Pediatric Ward of a hospital.  

This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study included 16 employees and 30 mothers of hospitalized children in the Pediatric Ward of a hospital located in a deprived area in Iran with no sampling. The data were collected using two researcher-made questionnaires (i.e., employees’ and mothers’ questionnaires) with reliability values of  0.712 and 0.926, respectively, using Cronbach’s alpha. Moreover, the reliability of the questionnaires was confirmed by a group of professors who were experts in the health sciences. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 19) through the Chi-square and Fischer’s exact tests.

The results of this study showed that maternal satisfaction correlated significantly with imaging services (P=0.004), medical services (P=0.003), clinical staff views about the process of recovery (P=0.005), and the reception services as well as employees’ satisfaction (P=0.009). However, maternal satisfaction had no correlation with education (P=0.891), type of insurance (P=0.817), laboratory services (P=0.164), and patient services (P=0.064). Furthermore, employees’ satisfaction correlated significantly with the type of occupation (P=0.005), job benefits (P=0.015), and nutrition (P=0.029). Additionally, there was not a relationship between employees’ satisfaction and nurse supervisors or department heads’ attention (P=0.897). 

According to the results of this study, mothers had a moderate level of satisfaction with the services provided by physicians, nurses, and welfare services. It should be noted that more attention to the childcare by the clinical staff led to a higher level of maternal satisfaction. It is worth mentioning that timely and increased payment of salaries, as well as job benefits, can be effective in increasing staffs’ satisfaction and improving their performance.

There exist several factors affecting the academic performance of students some of which improve academic performance, whereas some factors exert adverse effects on education. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder and academic burnout among students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences.

The statistical population of this descriptive-analytical study included general medical students out of whom 285 students were selected as the research population by simple random sampling. Data collection instruments included Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow Mental rumination questionnaire and Breso›s academic burnout questionnaire. Subsequently, the data were analyzed using the correlation method.

Based on the results of the current study, a positive and significant relationship was reported between rumination and burnout in both groups of girls and boys. The correlation coefficient between rumination and burnout in girls was measured at (r=0/335; sig=0/000) and (r=0/250; sig=0/012), respectively. Furthermore, this study revealed that rumination (F=3.339) and academic years (F=3/683) were found to be influential factors affecting academic burnout. However, the effect of rumination on academic burnout in terms of the academic year was not significant.

The results indicated a positive and significant relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder and academic burnout. Excessive stress, as well as long working hours and years of study, predisposes medical students to obsessive-compulsive disorder and in turn to academic burnout.

Currently, head louse is one of the sanitary problems in schools that results in physical, mental, and social problems in students. In this regard, the present study was conducted for the epidemiologic examination of head louse among the female students of the primary schools in Tonekabon, Iran, in 2017-2018.

The present descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was carried out for the examination of head louse on a total of 1466 students who were randomly selected from 5817 cases after the cluster sampling method. Then, the data were collected using a questionnaire and head examination, and the analysis was performed in SPSS software version 20 using the Chi-square test and logistic regression.

Out of 1464 students, 292 (19%) subjects were infected with lice. In addition, the first-grade students were reported with a higher level of infection, compared to others. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between the prevalence of head louse with age, parental education, father occupation, personal hygiene, use of personal accessories, number of family members, neighborhood, number of taking showers, presence of a sanitary instructor in schools, sleeping beside others, and personal or family history of infection (P<0.05). Moreover, no significant relationship was observed between head louse with school-grade, mother occupation, as well as hair length and type (P>0.05). 

The obtained results showed that there was an inverse relationship between parental education, presence of a sanitary instructor, personal hygiene, and number of taking showers with the prevalence of head louse in female students in primary schools. In this regard, it is necessary to promote the level of knowledge in the community for the control and prevention of the infection.

Nowadays, healthcare and treatment networks as an operator of the executive and administrative policies of the Ministry of Health are not able to develop efficacy without the voluntary tendency of employees for cooperation. In this context, the organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) might lead to the development of organizational performance in short- and long-term by increasing the productivity and efficacy of the employees. One of the key influential factors in the occurrence of these excellent behaviors in employees is the side effects of the internet and new technologies. Therefore, the present research aimed to investigate the relationship between cyberloafing and OCB of the employees.  

This applied descriptive-correlational research was performed on the statistical population of all the employees of Babolsar healthcare and treatment network. A total of 165 subjects were selected through simple sampling method. In order to explore the OCB and cyberloafing, the standard scales were used. Data analysis was carried out by the SPSS and LISREL software.

The results of the present study showed an inverse and significant relationship between OCB and cyberloafing (P<0.001). The latter inverse significant correlation was supported by the structural equation modeling test (β=0.79). The values of goodness of fit (GFI) indices were found as χ2/df=1.91, GFI=0.97, normed fit index (NFI)=0/97, and root mean square of approximation (RMSEA)=0.076. All the findings demonstrated a desirable fitness of model.

According to the findings of this study, the cyberloafing of the employees of healthcare and treatment network has an undesirable impact on the occurrence of their OCB. As a result, it is recommended that the authorities provide conditions and environment in a way that group norms, organizational norms, and engagement in work become more significant for employees.