Iranian Journal of health, Safety and environment
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Autumn 2020

Healthy breakfast and snacks play an important role in students’ physical and mental health and education is one of the most effective strategies for improving the nutritional status of children. The aim of this study was to survey the effect of school-based educational intervention on mothers’ behavior with respect to healthy breakfast and snacks for children. In this experimental study, random sampling was conducted and 120 students were selected and divided into two experimental and control groups and their mothers were invited to participate in the study. Samples were examined in two stages through pre-test, and a delayed post-test with a questionnaire that consists of demographic information questions related to knowledge, attitude, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and behavior. Training, lectures and group discussion methods and question and answer with educational aids such as pamphlets were used. Data were analyzed by using SPSS16 and paired t-test, t-test and chi-square analyses were employed. The mean scores of knowledge (6.20±88.30), attitude (1.65±25.95) and perceived benefits (0.29 ±17.95), perceived barriers (2.71±34.70), and behavior of mothers (8.38± 115) in the experimental group significantly increased after intervention (P<0.001). There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of the mean knowledge, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and behavior scores 2 months after the program, except for attitude, and mean scores (P<0.001). Design, implementation and evaluation of interventions for mothers regarding nutritional issues for children to enhance their health are recommended.

In this study, two chronic toxicity tests were conducted to assess, in vitro, the toxicity effect of ammonium hydroxide ‘AH’ on survival, growth, reproduction and cocoon hatching of Eisenia fetida worm. Adult earthworms and cocoons were exposed to an increasing AH concentration (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 5mg.g1 of soil). Mortality, growth, cocoon production and juveniles’ emerging were measured over 56 days to determine LC50, EC50, NOECs and LOECs values. Moreover, the percentage of hatching success and number of juveniles emerging were recorded. For the first test, our results show that AH caused a high mortality rate, decrease of: biomass, cocoon produced and hatchlings emerging trend with increasing of the AH concentration and exposure time. The calculated LC50 after 28-d was 0.85 and 0.83mg.g1 after 56-d. Otherwise, the obtained EC50 for biomass changes after 28-d and 56-d were 1.64 and 0.82mg.g1 , indeed, the EC50 of juveniles’ production was 0.82mg.g1 . The estimated NOEC value was similar for survival, growth and reproduction (0.5mg.g1 ). Otherwise, AH has a toxic character on E. fetida cocoon hatchability, the estimated NOEC value of cocoon hatching success was 1mg.g1 .