JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND HYGIENE
Year:2020 | Volume:11 | Issue:4|Papers Count:11

Background & objectives: The number of waterpipe cafes has considerably grown in Tehran and other cities of Iran. This increase has occurred due to a wrong belief that the use of hookahs is harmless and relatively safe. So, the aim of current study is to investigate the nicotine concentration in the indoor air of the waterpipe and cigarette café s as well as the biological concentration of nicotine and cotinine in urine and blood samples of exposed people. Methods: The indoor samples were gathered from 36 café s-14 Hookah cafes (HS), 8 cigarette cafes (CS), 6 both Hookah and cigarette cafes, and 8 non-smoking areas (NS)-Sampling was carried out in each café once during a working day and once on a holiday at weekends. After that, the concentration of nicotine was determined. Finally, the concentration of nicotine and cotinine was studied in blood and urine samples of exposed peoples. Results: The results of this study showed that the most nicotine production in cafes was in the form of "hookah and cigarette cafes"> "hookah cafes"> "cigarette cafes"> "places without smoking", respectively. Also, it was observed that the concentration of nicotine in cafes during weekend sessions (with more active smokers) was higher than during the week sessions. Based on path analysis, the number of “ active smokers” had the highest effect on releasing of nicotine inside the café s, followed by the tobacco-type as the second influential parameter. Finally, it was observed that the highest amounts of nicotine and cotinine were found in blood and urine samples of smokers who were also employed in these cafes. Conclusion: The most important point was that in all studied cafes where tobacco was consumed, the measurable concentrations of nicotine in the air and also nicotine and cotinine in the blood and urine samples of exposed people were found. This shows that there is an urgent need for formal evaluation to see whether these findings are compatible with the Iranian national law regarding banning of tobacco use in public places.

Background & objectives: Citrus lemon and lime juice, which contain high levels of vitamin C and natural antioxidant in the form of polyphenols, have a special place in the food basket of Iranian households. Flavonoids are among the polyphenolic compounds and Eriocitrin, Naringin and Hesperidin are among the most important flavonoids. Investigating the amount and type of polyphenols and flavonoids in this food is one of the tools to discover the authenticity of this juice. Methods: In this research, 65 samples of lime juice (42 samples of packed lime juice and 23 samples of bulk lime juice) were purchased from Tabriz and total amount of phenolic compounds were determined using spectrophotometry. Also, the quantities of Eriocitrin, Naringin and Hesperidin were analyzed using liquid chromatography method in order to investigate possible counterfeiting. Results: The average amount of total polyphenolic compounds of packed and bulk juices were 275 and 303 mg/l, respectively and totally, 9 samples (13. 8%) did not conform to the Institute of Standards of Iran rules and were considered as not consumable. Regarding flavonoids, the results showed that the average amount of Eriocitrin, Naringin and Hesperidin were 17. 32, 28. 31 and 80. 44, respectively. Accordingly, 33 samples (50. 78%) were not consistent with the Institute of Standards of Iran rules. In the present study, the reason for the non-standardization of most lemon juice samples (78. 8%) was presence of the Naringin flavonoids. Conclusion: In determining flavonoid compounds in comparison with the method of measuring total phenolic compounds, 24 more samples of lime juice (36% of samples) were found not to be standard, so due to the increasing adulteration that occurs in the various food industries, it is imperative that food health monitoring institutions use new and effective methods for food authentication to ensure community health.

Background & objectives: Cell phone microwave (MW) is one of the most harmful physical agents in modern society. This study was designed to determine the effects of exposure to cell phone microwaves on mice sperm morphologic indices. Methods: Animals were divided into two groups including: Microwave (MW) (n=6; exposed to 950-MHz cell phone MW with 5 W output power density and 200 KHz modulation during 10 days for 8 hrs/day) and Control (C) (n=6; similar situation; not exposed to MW) groups. After exposure, all mice were anesthetized; their testis epididymis tails were extracted and put in mix culture of Hams F10 and 10% human albumin. Paraffin blocks with sections of 5μ m thicknesses were prepared and testis tissue indices were determined. The average obtained by three repeats within a group was reported as Mean± S. D and significant level considered P<0. 05. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA test. Results: There were significant differences in total sperm motility (MW: 60. 70± 0. 96; Control: 72. 4± 1. 02), the percentage of normal sperm morphology (MW: 45. 30± 50. 58; Control: 73. 35± 1. 60), the percentage of sperm viability (MW: 58. 68± 1. 44; Control: 74. 36± 1. 65), and tubules inner diameter (MW: 97. 11± 1. 79; Control: 66. 82± 1. 02) (p<0. 05); while, no significant differences were observed in sperm count per million (MW: 4. 11± 1. 11; Control: 4. 51± 0. 09) and tubules outer diameter (MW: 160. 27± 1. 95; Control: 161. 89± 1. 33). Conclusions: 950-MHz cell phone MW exposure led to decreased total sperm motility, diminished percentage of normal sperm morphology, reduced percentage of sperm viability (which is expected to increase the possibility of male factor infertility with varying degrees over time), and increased tubules inner diameter (which indicates differentiation and cell death in different classes of germinal cells).

Background & objectives: Nowadays, consumers are demanding more accurate and clear food information than ever before, and meat products are no exception. Given the relatively high cost of raw meat, the possibility of adulteration is not unthinkable. The importance of detecting fraud meat products is due to the inclusion of other types of meat or cheap carcass components or the non-compliance of the ingredients listed in the product label. It is important to identify frauds in meat products for economic, security, religious and health reasons, so institutions concerned with the quality and health of food products must monitor this issue in various and precise ways. Methods: In this study, chemical properties (fat, protein, carbohydrate, ash and moisture contents) of 58 samples of meat products offered in Tabriz were evaluated by the methods mentioned in the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran. Also, the meat authenticity of 47 samples of raw meat and red meat products in terms of mixing meat or other parts of chicken carcass with them was investigated using PCR technique. Results: The results showed that 41. 38% of the tested samples had values contrary to the permissible limits set by the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran. Also, cases of fraud in the samples through mixing poultry meat in the samples were found whether in standardized products such as processed and semi-processed products or in raw meat samples, so that overall, 87. 23% of the obtained samples were not confirmed for product authenticity. Conclusions: This study showed that fraud and incorrect information on the label of red meat products in terms of poultry meat adulteration in them in Tabriz city is very high and this fact further reveals the need for accurate, continuous and regular monitoring of health institutions on this high-consumption food product.

Background & objectives: The significance of optimal breastfeeding of infants for their survival, growth, and development has been recognized and accepted as an important public health issue over the past decades. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the breastfeeding intention behavior of mothers referring to health centers in rural area of Baiza, south of Fars province, on exclusive breastfeeding, based on theory of planned behavior during the first six months after birth in 2018. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study. A questionnaire was administered to 116 mothers who were selected by simple random sampling among whom referred to the health centers in Beyza. Mothers completed the demographic information and the theory of planned behavior questionnaire including attitudinal structure, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention through self-report method. The data were analyzed by SPSS 19 software using Pearson's correlation coefficient and linear regression. Results: The mean age of mothers was 26. 60± 4. 87. In regression analysis, attitude (B=0. 24, p<0. 001) and subjective norms (B=0. 23, p<0. 001) significantly predicted breastfeeding intention, but perceived behavioral control was not a significant predictor of intention (B=0. 24, p>0. 05). Conclusion: In order to improve exclusive breastfeeding, it is necessary to consider the necessary interventions which can improve awareness, subjective norms, attitude and behavioral control of mothers.

Background & objectives: Psychological factors have a significant impact on development of disruptions as well as work-related accidents. Improving mental conditions and paying attention to these factors can increase the health of employees. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of occupational stress and mental workload on job performance of hospital personnel. Methods: The study population was the personnel of educational hospitals in Larestan (Lar, Khonj and Ewaz), among them 289 people were selected from all occupational units based on the census method. The instruments used in this study were demographic characteristics questionnaire, OSIPOW Questionnaire, NASA-TLX and Paterson's Job Performance Questionnaire. For analyzing the data in SPSS-21 software, the Pearson correlation coefficient, Independent T-test and ANOVA were used. Results: The average age of participants was 34. 16± 8. 52. The results of the study showed that the average total score of mental workload and occupational stress were 63. 28± 18. 01 and 151. 45± 25. 96, respectively. Also, the frequency distribution of stress level and job performance in most personnel showed that they were at the normal and medium levels. There was a significant relationship between job type and income with total score of mental workloads (p<0. 05). Pearson correlation coefficient showed a significant relationship between performance and job stress (p<0. 05). In the study of the relationship between job stress and demographic variables, a significant relationship was found between gender variables and job stress (p<0. 05). The correlation coefficient of job performance with job stress in hospital staff showed that there was a significant inverse relationship between these two variables, so that, with increasing job stress, job performance decreased. Conclusion: The results of the research showed that the mental workload of nurses is high compared to the other occupations and when the job stress increases, the personnel performance decreases.

Background & objectives: Nutrition habits and culture is one of the important constituents of the food patterns in every society. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) provides a framework for behavior recognition in the family context. According to this theory, nutritional behavior is influenced by the individual and environmental factors. This study aims to determine fastfood related factors based on the (SCT) in women referring to healthcare centers in Bojnourd City. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted during 2017 among 450 women who have referred to Bojnourd healthcare systems. A three-part questionnaire was used to collect data including demographic information, consumption frequency during the last week, and questions related to Social Cognitive Theory. Data were analyzed in SPSS 20 using Spearman correlation test, Kruskal-Wallis test, ANOVA and linear regression with significance level of p<0. 05. Results: The mean age of the subjects in this study was 29. 59± 7. 85 years old. 62. 6% of women had consumed fast-food at least once a week. There was a negative statistical relationship between fast-food consumption and age. Female students had higher fast-food consumption compared to employed women and housewives (p<0. 001). Different social cognitive constructs explained 17. 2% of fast-food consumption variance in the study, so that, nutritional awareness (p=0. 001) and availability (p<0. 001) showed significant contributions in fast-food consumption. Conclusion: In this study, fast food consumption was high in older people, employed and college students and the frequency of fast food consumption was lower in women with high awareness. According to the results of the study, designing educational interventions for increasing health awareness in individuals from lower ages and providing healthy nutrition for women can have optimal effects for better nutrition selection.

Background & objectives: One of the most important requirements in the health fields is the availability of standard measurement tools to assess the health status. This study aimed to design and determine the validity and reliability of health care empowerment questionnaire among women in reproductive age based on the theory of planned behavior. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 488 married women (15-49 years old) using self-administered questionnaire that were selected by multistage random sampling method in south health centers affiliated to Tehran university of medical sciences in 2018. The validity of the questionnaire was determined using content, criterion and face validity, and its reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha and Wilcoxon test using SPSS-24 software. Results: In order to evaluate the validity, four questions with less content validity indices were modified and the necessary changes were made. Then, their validity steps were repeated and desired values, i. e., the content validity ratio more than 0. 62 and content validity index more than 0. 79, were obtained. The reliability was calculated in the value greater than 0. 7. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the theory-based questionnaire of health care empowerment were acceptable (α =0. 96). The content validity index and content validity ratio were also satisfactory (CVI=87%, CVR=% 89). Conclusion: This theory-oriented questionnaire can be used as a valid and reliable tool for assessing the health care empowerment among married women in reproductive age.

Background & objectives: School environment health is one of the factors affecting the health of students and their educational status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health status of secondary schools in Ardabil and compare it with national standards and indices. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study which was conducted in all secondary schools of Ardabil (70 schools) in 2018. Data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics. Results: The results showed that the surveyed schools, in some of the indices, are far from national standards of environmental safety and health. Some of schools did not have safe electrical wiring, and some outlets lacked safety caps. The buffet of 27 schools was also not satisfactory (38. 6%) regard to windows wired net and in 26 schools, 37. 1% of the windows overlooking the outside had not wired net. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the environmental health of secondary schools in Ardabil city did not comply with national standards and indices in some cases. Therefore, serious attention should be paid to improve school health standards.

Background & objectives: The tool used to collect data should have validity in the first stage and reliability in the second stage. The aim of this study was to design a tool for program management of middle-aged people in health centers in 2019. Methods: This study was a descriptive-applied research. The research tool was a researchermade questionnaire from a comparative study and interview. The validity of tool was examined by surveying 14 experts in the field of health services management, health education, general practitioner and nursing using Lawshi method. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined by selecting 30 experts in middle-aged people program and using the test-retest method with time interval of two weeks. For data analysis, the SPSS software version 20 was used. Results: In the validity stage, based on the opinions of 14 experts, out of 87 questions, 1 question with a content validity ratio of 0. 45 and a content validity index of 0. 73 was removed from the questionnaire questions and the rest of the questions were approved in terms of content. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was obtained in two stages (the first stage was 0. 85 and the second stage was 0. 95) and the correlation coefficient was 0. 99 for the whole questionnaire. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the component of public participation and the component of executive management had the highest and lowest correlation in the management of health services for middle-aged people, so policymakers and health care planners can use it to improve the quality of health services for middle-aged people.

Background & objectives: One of the most important water-related issues is the pollution of water resources, which is mainly due to human activities and currently threatens many water resources in the world. Therefore, the use of appropriate tools to manage surface water quality seems necessary. This study was conducted to determine the potential risks of pollutants in Sabalan Dam using a WRASTIC model. Methods: WRASTIC evaluation model and GIS software were used to assess the risk of Sabalan Dam pollution accidents. To determine the level of pollution risk, the catchment area of Sabalan Dam was divided into 8 sub-basins. Then, in each sub-area, pollution source maps including various indicators of industrial effluents, agriculture, housing, recreation and transportation accidents were prepared in GIS software environment. Then scoring for each indicator was performed based on the potential intensity of pollutant sources. Finally, based on the obtained data, sub-basins were classified in terms of risk. Results: The results showed that based on the model used in terms of health and environmental pollution risk, the average risk of water pollution for the catchment area of Sabalan Dam was 48. 29. Classification of the level of pollution risk in the sub-basins of Sabalan Dam showed that sub-basin S1 had a high level of risk and the level of risks in subbasins S2 and S4 were moderate. Conclusion: The use of WRASTIC model in determining the risk level of Sabalan Dam pollution accidents showed that the most important indicators of Sabalan Dam catchment was the entry of domestic wastewater and effluents of aquaculture and agricultural activities and mineral hot springs. The results of this study indicated the desirability of using the WRASTIC model in determining the pollution risk of the Sabalan dam catchment.