Journal of Human Environment and Health Promotion
Year:2017 | Volume:2 | Issue:2|Papers Count:8

Background: Iran is located in the global arid zone. With an average rainfall of less than 250 mm.25 percent is Iran of located in hyper-dry area and 40 percent in the arid area. In 2007, the World Bank report declared the annual reduction of freshwater resources in Iran 6 times more than global standards and indicators. Since at present, in Iran most available fresh water enters the water ecosystems, their management is vitally important due to climate changes and water quality parameters.Methods: In this study, long- term changes of some parameters including hardness, dissolved solids and EC, pH, HCO3, Ca, Na, Mg, Cl and SO4 were investigated for a period of 44 years in two key rivers (Neka and Tajan rivers) in the north of Iran.Results: The results show that there was the same changes pattern in all parameters in both rivers. The highest level of correlation was between electrical conductivity and dissolved solids in both rivers. Also, due to the similarity of the hydrological characteristics of the rivers, the impact of area development by local people is playing a major role in the environmental health.Conclusion: Although Iran's northern regions have high rate of precipitation, status of water quality parameters is an indicator of low levels of water quality and its pollution.

Background: Sampling was conducted on particles smaller than ten microns (PM10) in a high-traffic urban region once a week for two years in which fifteen heavy metals were measured.Methods: positive matrix factorization (EPA-PMF5), was used for source apportionment and characterization of the collected PM10. Assessment of cancer risk resulting from metals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel and lead was conducted in three concentration ranges of maximum, average and minimum.Results: Results for children and adults living in the region indicated that cancer risk indexes at different concentration ranges of carcinogenic metals were between 10-4 to 10-6 for adults and children. Since EPA recommendations suggest that planning should be conducted if cancer risk is in the range of 10-4 to 10-6, using PMF5 model, source characterization of pollutants was implemented by all measured heavy metals.Conclusion: It was found that 41.5% of PM10 resulted from fuel and combustion, 12% from waste dump soil of lead and zinc industries, 35.7% from suspended open soil and 11% from industrial activities. It was also found that cadmium, nickel and, chromium have higher cancer risk than other metals and, suspended open soil, industrial activities and industrial fuel and combustion are the main sources of these metals respectively.

Background: Raw (fresh) vegetables are an important ingredient of healthy diet. Many enteric bacterial, parasitic and viral pathogens could be transmitted by vegetables. Mazandaran province is located in northern Iran with a coastal area and extensive fields for vegetable cultivation. The current study is designed to evaluate the parasitic contamination of fresh vegetables.Methods: A total of 150 samples of fresh vegetables obtained from markets were examined for parasitic infections using standard methods.Results: Out of 104 samples (60.3%) were contaminated with parasites. Parsley and radish with prevalence rates of 90% (18.20) and 39.1% (9.23) were the most and least contaminated vegetables. Free living larva and Trichostrongylus were the most and least common parasites in our results.Conclusion: It can be concluded that parasitological contamination of raw vegetables may be a health threat to consumers of such products.

Background: Emotional quotient is the ability to manage and control the anxiety, tension, hope and optimism in the face of obstacles on the way of achieving the purpose. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between the emotional quotient and emotional maturity in the students of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in 2016.Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study carried out on 396 students with mean age of (M=22.14, SD=21.14). Data was collected through two questionnaires including Bar-On Emotional quotient Inventory (EQ-i) and Emotional Maturity Scale (EMS). The results were analyzed using SPSS version 22 and linear regression and Pearson's correlation tests.Results: The results showed that there's a significant relationship (P£0.001) between emotional quotient and emotional maturity, also, between the emotional maturity with the Interpersonal Component (P≤0.001), Intrapersonal Component (P£0.001), Adaptability Component (P£0.001), and Stress Management Component (P£0.001) And General Mood Component (P£0.001).Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is proposed that researchers carry out greater studies in students, identify factors associated with emotional maturity and develop precise plans in order to strengthen these factors and increase the rate of emotional quotient in students.

Background: Safe drinking water is one of the main factors in improving health status of the population. The aim of this study was assessment of the microbiological quality, determination of pH and residual chlorine in water coolers’ drinking water in educational centers of Zanjan University of medical Sciences in 2015 and comparing the results with the Iranian national standards.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, water samples of all used water cooler apparatuses were sampled and transferred rapidly to the laboratory. pH and residual free chlorine were measured by pH meter and Chlorine Residual Testing kit, respectively. Total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Mold and yeasts count were enumerated according to the Iranian national standards No.1011, 3759, 5271 and 10899-1, respectively. Data were analyzed through the statistical soft wares.Results: The obtained results indicated that 44.44% of the samples were nonstandard because of low residual chlorine.44.44% and 27.8% of the taken water samples of water cooler dispensers were contaminated with mold or yeast and Escherichia coli, respectively.Conclusion: According to some microbial contamination in water samples of water cooler devices to ensure availability clean water to consumers (students and hospital’s visitors) continuous monitoring, proper maintenance and regular inspection of the water cooler dispensers seems necessary.

Background: Rapid pace of the construction projects have led to safety negligence on the part of the contractors causing higher numbers of accidents in construction industry. Thus, over 2200 legal provisions have been established for the prevention of accidents on construction sites. Not only contractors are unable to implement all provisions, but also it is hard for regulatory bodies to implement all rules, but they are also hard to remember and attend to by regulatory forces. Therefore, identifying the set of codes with the highest effect on reducing accidents would be most beneficial. The aim of this study was to determine the most effective legal provisions in reducing accidents on construction sites in Zanjan city.Methods: In this study, 378 work-related accidents in construction sites in Zanjan city, already registered in the Labor Inspection Authority, were investigated. Then the codes that had not been respected in the construction industry accidents were identified. Effective codes were determined based on their frequency on Pareto chart.Results: Results indicated that out of 2200 legal matters, only 164 were broken in the accidents.Conclusion: Application of Pareto chart could raise safety professionals' awareness of the specific broken codes in accidents, thus draw higher attention to the codes.

Background: Despite continued and comprehensive planning of the world health organization (WHO), intestinal parasitic infections are a serious public problem in developing countries. Due to the high prevalence of cancers in Ardabil province and subsequently the high possibility of intestinal parasitic infections among the people, the aim of this study was to assess the frequency of intestinal parasites in patients with malignancy in this area.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 100 fecal samples were collected from patients with cancer during February to September 2015. The specimens were examined for intestinal parasites using direct smear, formal-ethyl acetate concentration, agar plate culture and Ziel-Neelsen staining technique.Results: The overall frequency of intestinal parasitic infections in studied cancer patients was 10%. The infection rates of detected intestinal parasites were Cryptosporidiumspp. oocyst 4%, Blastocystis hominis 3%, Giardia lamblia 2% and Taeniaspp.1%.Conclusion: Despite the low frequency of intestinal parasites, there is a need to screen cancer patients for some important parasitic infections such as Cryptosporidiumspp. and Strongiloides stercoralis because of irreparable effects of those parasites on the patients and to increase awareness among clinicians regarding the occurrence of parasitic infections in these patients.

Background: This study aimed to compare mental health, life satisfaction and happiness of non-addicted men's wives and addicted men's wives in Zanjan.Methods: This study was a comparative study of ex post facto. Two groups including 192 wives of addicted men and 192 non-addicted men's wives were selected. The case Group was selected purposefully and from the patients admitted to addiction treatment centers. The people in the control group were randomly selected from the same areas. The groups were assimilated with respect to the inclusion criteria. Data were collected by using GHQ-28, Satisfaction with Life Scale by Denier and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. To analyze the data, considering that data follow a normal distribution and by observing the test precondition, MANOVA and independent twosample t-test were used in SPSS 22.Results: There was a significant difference between general health and its subscales in the two groups (P>0.05). There was a significant difference between both groups in terms of life satisfaction (P<0.05). Finally, there was a significant difference between happiness and its subscales in the case group and control group (P<0.05).Conclusion: The Case group had a situation lower than the control group in terms of general health, life satisfaction and happiness.