Health and Development Journal
Volume:8 Issue: 2, 2019

Todays, water resources are affected by various factors such as organic materials, pathogens (bacterial and microbial agents), and minerals (including heavy metals). For this reason, continuously examining the spatiotemporal changes in environmental pollutants is one of the most critical components of water quality studies.   

The sampling of some heavy metals (Ni, Cd, Zn, Pb) took place from 8 different stations in four seasons of 2014. After the preparation of the samples, they were used to measure the elements based on the technique proposed in Standard Methods.

Among the studied stations, the highest concentrations of metals were measured at the Pirbazar Station. The concentration of these metals was higher in the spring and summer than in the rest of the seasons. The results showed that the concentration of metals in water at different stations in the four seasons was Ni 0.05), but the results of the paired-sample t-test showed a significant increase in heavy metals(Ni, Cd, Zn, Pb) in comparison with the results obtained in 2007 (p<0.05).

Adoption of appropriate management approaches for comprehensive environmental assessment and control of anthropogenic pollutants reducing the organic load from industrial, urban and agriculture waste, continuous quality surveillence around the year and finally environmentaly upgrading the wetland is suggested.

It is important to determine the prevalence of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms in school students and teachers, which is relevant to the physical environment of the building. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sick building syndrome in students and teachers of guidance schools in Babol.

This descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was carried out in 15 guidance schools in Babol in the winter of 2018, among 150 students and 95 teachers. The MM040EA (Miljomedicine040) questionnaire was used to collect data and was completed by interview. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test.

Among the 12 symptoms of SBS, 50.7% of students had fatigue, and 44.7% had headaches. There was a significant correlation between heavy headedness (p = 0.42) and headache (p = 0.029) with students’ gender. There was a significant correlation between the teachers’ gender with the redness or dryness of facial skin (p = 0.015), redness or itching of hands (p = 0.009) and also fatigue (p = 0.003). There was a significant correlation between the symptoms of the SBS with very high temperature in the students (p = 0.050), and with the noises (p = 0.40) in the teachers.

The present study showed that more than half of the students and teachers had symptoms of SBS. Since the symptoms of SBS are associated with some physical conditions of the classroom and school environment, the health condition of the schools should be annually checked for all aspects.

Nursing deals with shift working in different hours of the day and night. Sleep disorders due to disturbed sleep-wake cycle and the circadian cycle lead to physical and mental disintegration of the person. This study was conducted to examine the sleep quality of shift-working nurses in the hospitals of Rafsanjan.

This descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on 180 shift-working nurses in educational hospitals of Rafsanjan during April and May 2018. In order to collect data, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire was used. Data analysis was done using t-test، Chi-Square، Fisher Exact test and through SPSS 18.

The sleep quality of 56 shift-working nurses (31.10%) was optimal, while 124 nurses (68.90%) had inappropriate sleep quality. There was a statistically significant relationship between sleep quality and job satisfaction among nurses (P=0.036), so that, nurses who had job satisfaction had also optimal sleep quality. In terms of sleep quality dimensions, delayed sleep was the most prominent problem of nurses.

Research findings showed improper sleep quality of shift-working nurses in hospitals of Rafsanjan, which probably affects their job satisfaction, as well as their mental and general health. This can cause serious disorders in professional performance, quality of nursing services, personal life and other roles.

The contamination of milk and its products with heavy metals causes toxic and harmful effects on human health. The purpose of this study was to measure the levels of Pb, As, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn, and Mg in raw milk produced from livestock around the Khatoon-Abad Copper Smelter in Shahr-e-Babak, Kerman.

Samples of raw milk were collected from 10 nomadic settlements in Khatoon-Abad district, Shahr-e-Babak, in the spring of 2015. After digestion of 10 samples of milk with concentrated nitric acid, a total of 90 experiments were conducted using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry to determine the levels of the above-mentioned heavy metals. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16.

The average concentration of Mg, Zn, Cu, and Ni was 15.66±3.06, 1.53± 0.67, 0.47±0.11, and 1.95±0.54 mg/kg, respectively. The levels of Pb, As, Co, Cr, and Mn were not measurable by, in any sample.

The amounts of metals measured in the present study, except Ni, were within the ranges of the global standards (FAO/WHO and Codex 2007).

The results of the studies about spiritual well-being and psychological disorders among the student population are not enough and harmonious. This study examined the relation between spiritual well-being and some psychological disorders (stress, anxiety and depression) among martyr and veteran children students in Karaj Universities (Iran).

This cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study was conducted on 160 martyr and veteran children students in the universities of Karaj in 2017, using the multistage sampling method. The data gathering tool was a multi-sectional questionnaire containing demographic data, the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS), as well as the spiritual well-being scale (SWBS). Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 19) using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Linear Regression.

The mean age of students was 25.1±5.5 years, and 53.5% of them were the child of veterans. The mean of total SWBS and DASS scores were 91.21±16.1 and 16.81±9.1, respectively. Regarding spiritual well-being, students were in the medium range, and the majority of them were normal regarding psychological distress. No significant difference was found in spiritual well-being and depression, anxiety and stress between the two groups of martyr and veteran children students. There was a significant negative correlation between spiritual well-being and depression, anxiety and stress in these students.

According to the findings of this study, it is suggested that interventional and cultural programs be designed and implemented to increase the students' spiritual well-being based on appropriate theories.

Manual material handling tasks can cause fatigue in the short term and, in the long run, increase physical workload and musculoskeletal injuries in individuals. The  The present study was conducted with the aim of ergonomic evaluation of the manual material handling tasks.
 

This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was carried out on 100 workers in the food industries of Malard County in 2017. The Nordic questionnaire was used to determine the frequency of musculoskeletal disorders, and the 3DSSPP software, as well as the KIM key indicator method, were used for the ergonomic assessment of the manual material handling tasks. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 23).
 

The most frequent musculoskeletal discomfort was in the foot and the ankle (26%). The key indicator method showed that the final risk score in 61% of the tasks ranged from 10 to 24, and in 39% between 25 and 49. Also, the results of 3DSSPP software showed that the compressive and shear forces on the L5 / S1 disc were higher than the permissible limit in 30 and 8 percent of the workers' posture, respectively.
 

Most of the risk factors for manual material handling tasks in this study were thoroughly and accurately evaluated using both the KIM key indicator method and 3DSSPP software. Therefore, with this evaluation, the ergonomic conditions for manual material handling can be improved more precisely.

One of the most important ways to control diabetes is through self-care behaviors and increased self-efficacy of patients. This study aimed to determine knowledge, self-care, and self-efficacy in patients with type 2 diabetes in Birjand city.
 

This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 100 patients. Data were collected using a questionnaire designed in three parts including knowledge questions, self-efficacy questions, and questions about self-care behavior. Data were analyzed by SPSS20 software using descriptive analysis, one way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal-Wallis test.
 

The mean score of knowledge was 16/47±5/67. Thirty-five percent of the subjects had appropriate, and 19% had inadequate knowledge. The mean scores of self-efficacy and self-care were 138.17±52.59 and 55.15±21.45, respectively. Correlation test results showed a significant relationship between self-efficacy and knowledge (P=0.007), self-care and knowledge (P=0.002), as well as self-efficacy and self-care behaviors (P≤0.001). The highest level of significance was observed between self-efficacy and self-care.
 

In order to improve the health of diabetic patients, attention should be paid to patients' knowledge about diabetes, self-efficacy, and self-care behaviors. It is also necessary to plan educational training in this field and to identify the barriers which prevent self-care.

Nowadays, strengthening Patient safety culture has received widespread attention by healthcare organizations. The first step in improving the safety of the patient is to assess the safety culture of the hospital. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of Patient safety culture from the nurses' point of view.
 

In a cross-sectional study, a convenient sample, including 214 nurses, was selected among nurses in Imam Reza university hospital, Kermanshah, 2016. Data were collected by   a hospital survey on patient safety culture (HSOPSC) in 12 dimensions via self-reporting method and were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests using SPSS 19 software.
 

The dimension of "organizational learning - continuous improvement" with 75.86% positive score was the strength of the Patient safety culture. While the dimensions of feedback to errors (45.64%), the frequency of reporting events (41.70%), staffing issues (27.33%), the openness of communication channels (24.63%), and the non-punitive response to errors (15.59%) were the weaknesses of the Patient safety culture. The overall Patient safety culture score was at an undesirable level (48.93%) and needed to improve. The Patient safety culture score was not significantly correlated with individual variables of nurses (P >0.05).
 

Based on the findings, the Patient safety culture, particularly in the dimensions of "communication openness", "non-punitive response to errors", and "staffing issues" was in an undesirable level and required managerial interventions to improve. Improving Patient safety culture can prepare the basis for providing safe and high-quality care.