مجله تحقیقات سلامت در جامعه
سال هشتم شماره 4 (زمستان 1401)

Covid-19 is an infectious disease caused by the novel Coronavirus, and its pandemic has resulted in numerous deaths and losses worldwide. This study aimed to predict Corona-preventive behaviors in adults aged 30 to 50 admitted to Ardabil health centers based on their health literacy.

The present study was a correlational descriptive-analytical study. The statistical population consisted of 30 to 50-year-old patients admitted to Ardabil health centers (Iran) in 2019, from which 232 were randomly selected using cluster sampling. Data were collected through administering a health literacy and preventative behavior questionnaire online. The data were then analyzed using inferential (Pearson correlation and linear regression) statistics by the SPSS software (version 26) with a significance threshold of 0.05.

The results of this investigation revealed a statistically significant relationship (P<0.0001) between health literacy and anti-Covid-19 preventative behavior. In addition, there was a direct but moderate correlation between the stated factors (r=0.526). According to the findings of linear regression analysis, decision-making (P<0.0001, B=0.980) and knowledge (P=0.008, B=0.588) were the strongest predictors of preventive behavior. Overall, the variables included in the regression analysis predicted 65.6% of the Covid-19 disease-preventive behaviors.

This study demonstrated that health literacy plays a crucial role in enhancing citizens’ preventative behaviors against Covid-19. Therefore, it is possible to strengthen people’s preventive behavior against Covid-19 by enhancing their health literacy.

Water is a key element in hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present s tudy aimed to survey the opinions regarding the possible impact of Coronavirus on water and wastewater sources and facilities.

The experts and managers of the Regional Water Organization and the Water and Wastewater Company were surveyed using a checklist  (ranking-descriptive) in the present cross-sectional descriptive s tudy. One-sample and two-sample chi-square tests and non-parametric Mann-Whitney test were used for s tatis tical analysis.

In total, 70.9% of participants believed that the outbreak of COVID-19 affected the water resources and facilities in terms of consumption and supply while increasing the consumption (93.2%) and creating a significant challenge in supply (83%) had des tructive effects on other uses, especially agriculture (22.7%). Also, 92.3% believed that managing urban water consumption during the Corona outbreak and modifying the consumption pattern is necessary. The need for more preparation (79.6%), funding (86.8%), and training (96.8%) was recommended. Regular monitoring of water was emphasized by 70.9% of the participants. It is noteworthy that only 50.4% of the respondents believed that the treatment done on the water in the water treatment plants can control the coronavirus.

The performance of managers and experts regarding water sources and facilities is a function of their beliefs regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. About 50% of the participants failed to believe in the effectiveness of the exis ting water treatment in deactivating the coronavirus. Also, specialized training is recommended to increase knowledge.

One of the dangers that environmental health experts face at work is violence, the incidents of which are observed every year. The type and extent of this violence depend on the ethics of the operator. This s tudy aimed to determine the s tate of violence among environmental health experts in Kashan and Aran va Bidgol, Isfahan, Iran.

In this descriptive s tudy, 53 environmental health inspectors working in the centers affiliated with Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran, were selected. The data collection tool was a 58-item reliability-validated ques tionnaire consis ting of four parts, including physical violence (18 items), psychological violence (12 items), sexual violence (12 items), and racial violence (12 items), and there were three open ques tions at the end of the ques tionnaire. After the ques tionnaire was completed, information was recorded in SPSS software, and analysis was performed using independent t, Chi-square, and Fisher s tatis tical tes ts.

According to the results, 30% of the subjects experienced a physical attack, 90% verbal violence, and 7% racial violence in the pas t three years. No cases of sexual violence were reported. Moreover, the curator's insult to the inspectors had no relationship with the inspectors' behavior and was influenced by factors related to the curator himself and cultural and social factors.

Based on the results, a combination of personnel training and improving their communication skills, as well as behavioral training for attendants, would be effective in reducing cases of violence.

The World Health Organization defines responsiveness as the ability of a health sys tem to respond to the reques ts and needs of individuals in non-clinical but logical cases that s trengthen the health sys tem. This s tudy aimed to evaluate the responsiveness of the health sys tem after the implementation of the health sys tem transformation plan.

This descriptive-analytical s tudy was performed on 310 households in 2019 in Zahedan, Iran. Data were collected by clus ter sampling method. In this s tudy, the World Health Organization Ques tionnaire was used. Ques tionnaires were completed by interviewing the head of the household. Data were analyzed using SPSS-v22.

Regarding outpatient services, the highes t percentage of good performance belonged to the respect for people's dignity dimension (45%), the highes t percentage of average performance belonged to the dimensions of quality of basic amenities (55%), and the highes t percentage of poor performance was in the dimension of freedom of choice (40%). In inpatient services, the highes t good performance belonged to the respect for people's dignity dimension (35%), the highes t average performance belonged to the clarity of communication dimension (48%), and prompt attention, social support, and confidentiality (45%).

In this s tudy, it was found that "prompt attention" and "respect for people's dignity" were the mos t important and "the freedom of choice" was the leas t satisfied, and this low level of satisfaction could be due to the lack of expert and efficient s taff in the field of meeting the needs of the society in the city of Zahedan. Therefore, the university should try to train specialized and efficient s taff.

The assessment of the length of hospital s tay until recovery of patients with Covid-19 and its related factors in different areas can help manage the treatment process and prepare for the epidemic. This s tudy aimed to model the survival time until the recovery of COVID-19 definite patients.

This descriptive-analytical s tudy was retrospective. The s tatis tical population included all COVID-19 definite hospitalized in the educational and medical hospitals of Goles tan University of Medical Sciences from 20 February to 20 July 2020. The outcome variable was discharging confirmed cases of Covid-19. All analytical tes ts and charting were performed in R3.6.2 software.

From a total of 3480 confirmed patients, 77.5% recovered, and 22.5% experienced death at the end of the s tudy or were undergoing treatment. The median length of hospitalization in patients was 6 (IQR: 3-10) days. The mean age of all patients was 52.93±19.20 years; 58.2% of patients were over 49 years old, and half of the population were male. Women infected with Covid-19 survived and recovered 1.16 times more than men. Patients with an age group above 49 years of age had more recovery than their counterparts aged under 49 years.

As evidenced by the obtained results, apart from older adults, the prevalence of the disease needs to be evaluated more closely in young people and men, and these people should be monitored and screened frequently.

Regular training improves cardiovascular diseases. However, performing home-based exercise and determining its benefits have been less inves tigated in patients with cardiovascular diseases. The present s tudy aimed to inves tigate the effect of 10 weeks of the gym and home-based combined training (GBCT and HBCT respectively) on indicators of central obesity and quality of life in men with primary hypertension.

Forty-six patients (48 ± 9 years) were randomly selected and assigned into three groups; GBCT (n = 16), HBCT (n = 15), and control (n = 15) group. The combined training program included resis tance, aerobic and s tretching exercises. Body composition was measured, central obesity indices were calculated and selected ques tionnaires were completed by all participants before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using appropriate s tatis tical tes ts at a significance level of P ≤ 0.05.

Tri-ponderal mass index significantly decreased after GBCT and HBCT compared to that of the control group. The hip index decreased significantly after HBCT compared to that of the control group. Also, the body shape index and conicity index significantly decreased in the GBCT group compared to those in the HBCT group. Furthermore, the mean of the body adiposity index significantly decreased in GBCT and HBCT groups and the weight-adjus ted-wais t index significantly increased in the HBCT group. The quality of life and its different dimensions remained unchanged after the intervention.

GBCT and HBCT improve some indicators of central obesity; therefore, implementation of home-based exercise is sugges ted for cardiovascular patients.

This s tudy aimed to inves tigate the relationship of ambiguity tolerance, trus t, religious attitude, and quality of life with the attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination by analyzing the mediating role of health anxiety among citizens in Zanjan, Iran.

This descriptive-correlational s tudy was conducted on 597 citizens of Zanjan who were selected using the convenience sampling method. The data were collected utilizing the COVID-19 Vaccination Attitude Ques tionnaire, Uncertainty Intolerance Ques tionnaire by Carleton et al. (2007), NEO Revised Five Personality Factors Ques tionnaire by McCree and Cos ta (1985), Religious Commitment Inventory-10 by Worthington et al. (2003), World Health Organization Quality of Life Ques tionnaire (1996), and Health Anxiety Ques tionnaire by Salkowski and Warwick (2002). The obtained data were then analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient tes t and path analysis in SPSS software (version 26) and LISREL software (version 10.20).

The s tandard pathway coefficients indicated a significant correlation of the attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccination with ambiguity tolerance (β=-0.09, P˂0.05), trus t (β=-0.10, P˂0.05), and quality of life (β=-0.28, P˂0.001). Moreover, health anxiety was directly correlated with ambiguity tolerance (β=-0.11, P˂0.05), trus t (β=-0.11, P˂0.05), religious attitude (β=-0.12, P˂0.01), and quality of life (β=-0.09, P˂0.05). In addition, the results revealed the indirect association of tolerance of ambiguity, trus t, religious attitude, and quality of life with health anxiety (β=-0.16, P˂0.001).

According to the results, health anxiety can play a mediating role in the relationship of the attitude towards COVID-19 with ambiguity tolerance, trus t, religious attitude, and quality of life.

Cachexia syndrome is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by a significant reduction in skeletal muscle mass and no reduction in body fat mass. Therefore, the present s tudy aimed to inves tigate the therapeutic effect of sports exercises on the mechanisms that cause cachexia.

In the review and narrative s tudy, PubMed, Springer, Elsevier, Science Direct, and SID databases from 1991 to 2022 were searched using the keywords "Physical fitness, physical activity, muscle, body composition, breas t cancer, and exercise." After the initial screening, the full text of the articles was evaluated, and the articles that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. A total of 67 articles met the inclusion criteria for the review.

Based on recent studies, the mos t important possible mechanisms affecting cancer cachexia are sys temic cytokines, which are continuously activated by cancer and its treatment. Research shows that exercise may prevent cachexia in cancer patients.                                                

Skeletal muscle loss due to cancer cachexia is clinically important since it helps reduce or discontinue cancer treatment and is associated with increased mortality. It seems that performing sports interventions can be effective in improving these complications.