مجله تحقیقات سلامت در جامعه
سال دهم شماره 3 (پاییز 1403)

One of the major environmental pollutants found in the effluents of various industries, including textiles, is dye, which is highly toxic to both humans and the environment. This research aimed to investigate the photocatalytic removal of Acid Red 14 (AR14) dye from an aqueous solution using a copper oxide-eggshell powder nanocomposite under visible light.

Initially, the copper oxide-eggshell powder nanocomposite was synthesized using the co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and pH of the point of zero charge analyses were conducted to determine its structural characteristics. Next, the effects of various parameters, such as solution pH, catalyst dosage, initial AR14 concentration, hydrogen peroxide concentration, different gases, ionic types, process comparison, and recovery experiments, were investigated. Finally, the residual concentration of AR14 was analyzed using a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 515 nm.

The highest photocatalytic removal efficiency (99.99%) of AR14 was achieved at a pH of 3, with an initial dye concentration of 20 mg L-1, a nanocomposite dosage of 0.4 g L-1, and a contact time of 60 minutes. The efficiency of photocatalytic removal of AR14 decreased as the initial dye concentration increased. When the initial AR14 concentration increased from 20 to 100 mg L-1, the first-order rate constant declined from 0.146 to 0.0048 min⁻¹, and the electrical energy per order (EEO) increased from 3.94 to 120 kWh m-3. The efficiency of photocatalytic removal of AR14 increased with higher initial nanocomposite dosages and in the presence of different gases. Complete removal of AR14 dye was achieved at a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 25 mM and specific anion types. Additionally, the photocatalytic activity was maintained after eight consecutive cycles.

The copper oxide-eggshell powder nanocomposite, being both effective and environmentally friendly, can be used to remove AR14 dye from aqueous solutions under visible light.

Given that optimal workplace lighting plays a crucial role in mitigating visual strain, enhancing productivity, and improving overall employee performance, the present study sought to evaluate the current lighting system within a repair workshop. Additionally, it aimed to explore the feasibility of proposing tailored strategies for achieving optimal lighting conditions through specialized tools, such as DIALux software.

In this cross-sectional study, the work environment was examined, and lighting measurements were carried out at 35 stations. According to national standards, various executable solutions considering the existing lighting system and fixtures were evaluated to achieve an illumination intensity of 300 lux and a uniformity index of 0.6 in the workhouse. Moreover, the software's capabilities were used to predict the impact of each solution on improving illumination intensity and uniformity index.

The average illumination intensity in the repair workhouse was 290 lux with a uniformity index of 0.3. According to these results, the workhouse's lighting system needed improvement. The results indicated that software-provided solutions could increase illumination intensity to between 300 and 804 lux and improve the uniformity index to between 0.32 and 0.58.

The results revealed that significant changes and improvements in the workhouse's lighting can be achieved by implementing simple and low-cost solutions. In addition, the use of specialized lighting software by experts can lead to reliable and feasible solutions for enhancing lighting systems.

Fleas are ectoparasites of birds and mammals. In addition to causing harassment due to their bites, these insects transmit some diseases, such as plague, endemic typhus, and tularemia, to humans. The present study aimed to identify the species and biodiversity of important fleas in Neka City (Mazandaran Province, Iran). The present research followed a descriptive-analytical approach.

The sampling was performed for one year, from April to March 2022, in the rural areas of Neka City. In this study, 15 villages were randomly selected according to the geographic location of the north, south, east, west, and center. Different methods, including hand catch, human bait, and spreading white cloth, were employed to collect fleas. The collected samples were preserved in closed tubes containing 70% alcohol. After clarification and mounting in the laboratory, they were identified using validated identification keys.

A total of 2600 fleas were caught in this study, involving Ctenocephalides canis (30.93%), Ctenocephalides felis (57.54%), and Pulex irritans (11.53%) species. Among them, 33.12% were male, and 66.89% were female. The dominant species among the caught fleas was Ctenocephalides felis, and the majority of the collected fleas were caught in the Estakhr Posht village. Furthermore, the highest number of fleas caught was associated with the mountainous climate and occurred during spring.

The results revealed that Ctenoscephalides felis is the dominant and most abundant species in Neka City, Iran, which can be considered a health concern. Therefore, their presence and frequency should be considered a serious issue, and appropriate control measures should be made.

In today's world, care and health in different dimensions for the elderly are important health goals. Considering the great importance of social and spiritual health and the existence of challenges in these topics, the present study aimed to determine the relationship between social and spiritual health in diabetic elderly in 2023.

The current research is cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical), and its statistical population involves all diabetic elderly people in Golestan province, Iran, in 2023. The samples included 199 elderly people who were selected based on the conditions of entry into the study and by multi-stage cluster random sampling method. The data collection tools in this study included questions related to demographic characteristics, Keyes's Social Well-Being Questionnaire (KSWBQ), and Paloutzian & Ellison's Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire (SWBS). After explaining the objectives of the study and how to complete the questionnaire to the research units and assuring them regarding the confidentiality of the answers, the researcher, after obtaining written consent, asked the participants to complete the questionnaires. Finally, the data were collected from the completed questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS (version 26) software. A significant level of less than 0.05 was considered.

The results indicated that 54.3% of the participants were females and 45.7% were males. Most (35.4%) were between 65 and 70 years old, and 89.9% were married. The majority of the participants were housewives (43.4%) and retired (41.2%). In addition, 45.2% were consuming more than five medications, and 63.5% had at least two chronic diseases. Moreover, analytical results indicated that the total social health score increased significantly with improved spiritual health under flourishing, solidarity, and social cohesion scales (P<0.05). With increasing age and a higher number of children (P<0.05), as well as a lower number of medications consumed (P<0.05), individuals with chronic diseases (P<0.05) and those reporting decreased self-perceived health (P<0.05) exhibited better spiritual health. Furthermore, individuals who use medications 1-2 times (P<0.05) and have a duration of illness between 1 and 5 years (P<0.05) demonstrate higher levels of social health.

The result of the present study revealed a relationship between spiritual health and some subscales of social health in diabetic elderly people, and each of these cases is related to medical, clinical, and demographic characteristics.

Health literacy is considered an important determinant of society's health, and high health literacy increases opportunities for empowerment in health-related decision-making. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) constructs to conduct a diabetes test in at-risk individuals in Kurdistan province (Ghorveh City), Iran.

The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive research conducted in 2024. A total of 282 at-risk individuals eligible for inclusion in the study were selected to participate in the survey using a multi-stage random sampling method. Data collection tools included a demographic information form, a researcher-made questionnaire related to TPB constructs, and a health literacy questionnaire completed through an interview. Data were analyzed using the SPSS (version 23) software, descriptive tests (mean and standard deviation), and analytical tests (chi-square, Pearson correlation, and multiple regressions).

The mean and standard deviation related to the age of the participants was equal to 45.88±9.24. There was a relationship between gender, occupation, age, years of education, health literacy, monthly income, insurance coverage, and the ability to pay for testing to conduct a diabetes test (P≤0.05). Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between the constructs of the TPB, health literacy, and the intention to undergo diabetes testing. The demographic variables, health literacy, and TPB constructs accounted for 74% of the variance in the intention to perform diabetes testing.

The demographic factors, risk factors, health literacy, and the TPB constructs predict the intention to conduct a diabetes test in at-risk individuals. Therefore, it seems necessary to pay attention to the mentioned variables in the design of educational interventions.

The feeling of belonging to the school as an important requirement for the excellent performance of students in learning environments is influenced by several factors. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of moral intelligence and mindfulness in predicting the sense of belonging to school.

The present research followed the descriptive approach. The research population comprised all male and female students enrolled in first and second secondary schools within the Karaj district of Iran during the academic year 2023-2024. A sample of 120 individuals was selected using a convenience sampling method. Subsequently, participants completed questionnaires assessing moral intelligence, as developed by Lennik and Kiel (2005), mindfulness, as conceptualized by Chadwick et al. (2008), and the sense of belonging to the school, as articulated by Brew and Beatty (2004). Data analysis was performed using Pearson's correlation test and multiple regression using the SPSS (version 22) software.

The results indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between moral intelligence (r=0.702) and mindfulness (r=0.622) with the sense of belonging to the school (P<0.01). Furthermore, the components of moral intelligence account for 48.3% of the variance in the sense of belonging to school, while the components of mindfulness explain 37.2% of this variance.

According to the results of moral intelligence and mindfulness, they effectively improve students' sense of belonging to school; therefore, training of moral intelligence and mindfulness should be considered part of school intervention programs.

The effects of corona anxiety have become one of the main health challenges that endanger people's quality of life. Therefore, this research investigated the relationship between Corona anxiety, Corona knowledge, and social support with the mediating role of quality of life in this field.

The present work follows a descriptive approach and the correlational design of the structural equation model type. The statistical population included all women working at the health centers of Kermanshah in the second half of 2022; among them, 364 were selected through cluster random sampling. Data were collected using the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) of Alipour et al. (2020), the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) Questionnaire (1998), the researcher-made Questionnaire of Corona Knowledge, and the multidimensional perceived social support scale of Zimet et al. (1988). Moreover, the data was analyzed by the structural equation method using the SPSS (version 25) and PLS3 Smart software.

The results of this study indicated that the direct effect of corona knowledge (P<0.05, β=-0.208) and its indirect effects through quality of life (P<0.05, β=0.134) on corona anxiety were significant. In addition, the direct impact of social support (P<0.01, β=-0.377) and its indirect effect through quality of life (P<0.05, β=0.049) on corona anxiety were meaningful. The corona knowledge and social support had a negative and significant relationship with corona anxiety, and quality of life played a mediating role in this relationship.

By providing appropriate educational and supportive interventions in response to health crises, it is possible to improve individuals' quality of life and reduce their anxiety significantly.

The health system is one of the most extensive and productive service delivery systems in Iran and worldwide. Utilizing marketing science and specialized tools, such as the marketing mix, can play a significant role in marketing and managing the opportunities and challenges faced by health organizations. The present study explained and implemented the marketing mix in hospitals.

This qualitative study was conducted in the autumn of 2021 using content analysis inspired by the analytic steps of Graneheim and Lundman. The statistical population included experts and key individuals from health organizations in the field of hospitals in Mazandaran province, Iran. The participants were selected using purposive and snowball sampling. In addition, semi-structured interviews were carried out to collect data until data saturation was reached after 27 interviews.

This study included 16 (59.2%) male and 11 (40.8%) female participants. The average interview duration was 35 min. The qualitative results were extracted and categorized into two main categories, intangible and tangible assets, and eight subcategories, including price, service, promotion, process, brand, Place, physical evidence, and people.

This study demonstrated that the marketing mix in hospital service is a scientific and practical guide for improving the financial and organizational performance of the hospital. This marketing model can play an efficient and effective role in enhancing hospital coordination and management.