مجله سلامت و بهداشت
سال چهاردهم شماره 1 (پیاپی 56، بهار 1402)

Formaldehyde is one of the chemical compounds found in the indoor air of beauty salons, which the workers and even the salon's customers are exposed to. Since formaldehyde is known as a human carcinogen according to the report of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, therefore, this research was conducted to estimate the human health risk of formaldehyde in the indoor air of women's beauty salons in Gonabad city.

In this analytical cross-sectional study, ten women's beauty salons were selected, and sampling was done under NIOSH standard 3500 at the same time as the providing services. The samples were transferred to the intended laboratory for analysis and statistical analysis, and a health risk assessment of formaldehyde was done using the data. Also, the information recorded in the checklist was used to determine the environmental parameters affecting formaldehyde concentration.

The statistical analysis of the samples showed that the concentration of formaldehyde in the indoor air of beauty salons was within the standard limit. Among the different sections of beauty salons, the highest amount of formaldehyde is released from cosmetics. The non-carcinogenic risk of formaldehyde in all beauty salons was less than one, which is in the acceptable range. According to the U.S. EPA standard, the carcinogenic risk of formaldehyde was within the scope of probable carcinogenic risk.

Due to the high concentration of formaldehyde in the parts where cosmetics are used and the probable risk of carcinogenicity, it is necessary to investigate and monitor the content of formaldehyde in cosmetic and health products. Also, serious monitoring and control of air ventilation can effectively improve the indoor air quality of beauty salons.

Industrial air pollution is one of the most important environmental problems, and various industries are essential sources of air pollutants. This study aims to investigate the concentration of suspended particles (PM2.5, PM10) and assess the risk of silica dust around the tile and ceramics factory.

This study was conducted around a tile factory, where 48 environmental samples were collected. The NIOSH method 7601 was used to collect these samples with SKC individual sampling pumps. They were taken at a distance of 1.5 meters from the ground, using a TES-5200 Particle Mass Counter from Taiwan. The samples were analyzed in the laboratory by a DR6000UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method was employed to evaluate the health or non-carcinogenic risk. The risk of death due to lung cancer was assessed using the linear regression method of Rice et al.

This study found that the highest average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, and silica were 0.013, 0.206, and 0.285 mg/m3, respectively. The hazard quotient was calculated to be below one at all environmental stations, indicating a low risk. The study estimated 0.69 deaths per thousand people due to lung cancer.

At some of the environmental stations in the factory area, the level of suspended particles and silica exceeds the permitted limit. To stay safe, it is advised for everyone to take personal precautions when in or around the factory.

Controlling biological parameters is a crucial aspect of disinfecting drinking water. As such, a study was conducted in 1400 to examine the changes in the concentration of residual free chlorine at the point of consumption and distribution network of drinking water in Parehsar city, as well as the factors that influence it.

This study was conducted in Parehsar City, taking samples daily from 10 different points. In this cross-sectional study, according to the population of the city and based on the existing guidelines, sampling was done daily from 10 points in the city. Samples were taken during one season, one week every month, and daily, with ten samples from the point of consumption and ten samples from the distribution network (10 points in the city). A total of 420 samples were taken, and the parameters of residual free chlorine, temperature, turbidity, pH, and coliform were measured according to the standard method. Data analysis was also done using SPSS software.

The minimum and maximum concentration of residual free chlorine at the point of consumption and distribution network were measured, 0.2-0.5 and 0.5-1 mg/liter, respectively. It was determined by the analysis that there is no significant relationship between the residual free chlorine concentration at the consumption point and the distribution network. The changes in the concentration of residual free chlorine at the point of consumption and in the distribution network were independent of changes in temperature, turbidity, coliform, and pH (distribution network). There was only a positive relationship between the concentration of residual free chlorine at the point of consumption and pH at the point of consumption.

Out of the 210 cases measuring residual free chlorine concentration, only one case at the consumption point and ten cases in the distribution network did not meet the standards. However, all other residual free chlorine concentration measurements, temperature, turbidity, and pH were within the standards and guidelines.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver is a prevalent liver disorder that can lead to severe consequences and complications, including death. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an educational intervention based on a health belief model to prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver among women.

This study was conducted among 110 women who sought health services in Malayer City, located in western Iran, in 2021. The participants were divided into two groups: experimental and control. The data collection tool was a questionnaire based on the health belief model and demographic characteristics. The experimental group received three one-hour training sessions through pamphlets, lectures, and group discussions. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21, which included correlation tests, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests.

A total of 110 women participated in this study, with the average age of 38.07±6.28 years. The majority of participants were middle-aged, married, housewives with academic education, middle-income, and overweight. Following an educational intervention, the experimental group showed significant improvement in perceived sensitivity, severity, benefits, guidance for internal and external action, and self-efficacy compared to the control group (p=0.01 for all constructs). Additionally, the perceived barriers score decreased after training. The experimental group also demonstrated a decrease in perceived obstacles score after training (15.2±3.9 vs. 11.2±3.3, p<0.01).

The study revealed that developing educational programs based on the constructs of the health belief model could prevent women from developing higher levels of non-alcoholic fatty liver.

The main subject of this study was health impact assessment (HIA) of all-cause mortality, ALRI, LC, COPD, and IHD attributed to PM2.5 exposure using the AirQ+ model in Ahvaz as one of the most polluted cities of the world from 2008 through 2017.

In this descriptive-ecological study, the data related to mortality and PM2.5 was taken from the health deputy of Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences and Environmental and Meteorological Organizations of Ahvaz. After validating the data according to WHO guidelines, they were entered into the AirQ+ software. Also, BI values in 100 thousand individuals and RR with 95% confidence intervals were used.

The highest concentration of PM2.5 was in 2010 (70.72 µg/m3) and the lowest in 2014 (41.97 µg/m3), which is higher than the WHO standard (10 µg/m3) in all years of measurement. There was a significant relationship between PM2.5 concentrations, ratio, and attributed cases in all health outcomes. So, with the increase of air pollution in Ahvaz city due to PM2.5 pollutants, mortality and risk of contracting these diseases increased.

Appropriate measures and policies should be adopted to reduce air pollution by controlling PM2.5 pollutant sources and reducing the health effects caused by this pollutant in urban residents.

In the old age, anorexia and weight changes are common. Determining the nutritional status is a suitable indicator for evaluating the health of the elderly. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the demographic factors, pattern and nutritional status of the elderly who referred to the health centers of Khodabande city in 2020.

The present study was conducted cross-sectionally on 365 elderly people covered by health care centers in Khodabande city. Samples were selected using simple random sampling method from the Sib system of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. The data collection tool of the demographic information questionnaire, anthropometric indicators and nutritional status was collected using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire and the food patterns questionnaire from the Sib system. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 18 software and a significance level of 0.05.

The results showed that 49.3% of the elderly were men and 50.7% were women, and the average age was 71.1±7.2 years. The body mass index of women was higher than that of men (26.0±3.8 vs. 28.3±4.5 (kg/m2)) (p=0.001). Most of the elderly did not have a trend of average reduction in food consumption and unwanted weight loss in the last 3 months. Daily fruit consumption was reported in 25.4% of the elderly and milk and dairy consumption in 26.3% was rarely or never reported. Overweight and unfavorable nutritional pattern were observed in about 10% and overweight with moderate to favorable nutritional pattern in about 11% of the elderly. Also, 22.2% of the elderly had a normal BMI index with an unfavorable nutritional pattern. About 2% of the elderly were malnourished.

The results showed that although the studied elderly did not have a trend of reducing food consumption and unwanted weight loss, their nutritional pattern was not optimal, especially in the consumption of vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy products, and they had unfavorable nutritional habits such as using table salt, consuming fast foods and oils. Unfavorable was also unfavorable in the elderly. Therefore, considering the high number of elderly people at risk of malnutrition and the importance of healthy eating in improving the health level and improving living conditions, it is necessary to pay special attention to planning for this vulnerable group and to address the nutritional health of the elderly as a priority. elderly, nutritional status, health database

This study aims to create a model that identifies the factors that influence the growth of adventure sports tourism and the potential risks it poses to the health of athletes in the country's northwest region. Therefore, this research seeks to investigate the impact of adventure sports tourism on health and the accidents that may result from it.

This research aimed to gather information from experts in different fields, such as university professors, cultural heritage experts, sports and youth managers, and tourism service agency managers in the northwest region of the country. The research used a Delphi interview with 16 participants to collect data, and a researcher-made questionnaire was distributed among the statistical community in the area. Descriptive survey statistics were used to analyze the data and determine the importance of each variable.

The research findings indicate that the model has been successfully validated through participant and non-participant expert reviews, with suitable Cronbach's alpha numbers and combined reliability of the variables. The structural model was evaluated using a criterion that measures the effect of independent variables on dependent variables, with a higher value indicating a better fit. Additionally, the model's ability to predict was evaluated and found to have strong predictive power for independent variables based on the value obtained for the dependent variables.

The research findings indicate that nature tourism is the top priority for developing adventure sports attractions. Participants in the study, including people with doctorate degrees and academic staff, preferred nature tourism due to its lower health risks. Water attractions were also prioritized for their diversity. Through factor analysis, the priority level of each attraction was determined. The study also revealed a strong relationship between adventure sports tourism and health tourism, as indicated by structural equations.

Information on the baseline profile of patients with Covid-19 and ICU-related risk factors and in-hospital mortality is still limited. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU of Golestan medical centers from March to September 2020.

This study analyzed data from patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized in the ICU of medical centers in Golestan province from March to September 2020. The study included information from all 664 patients. The software utilized was SPSS24.

In a study of 664 patients, 547 (82.4%) died, while only 56 (8.4%) recovered. The patient's average age was 59.73 years with a standard deviation of 21.87 years, and 51.4% were male. The most common underlying disease was cardiovascular disease (10.7%). The study showed that age (p<0.001), blood urea (p<0.001), and having at least one underlying disease were significantly associated with the patient's outcomes, including death (p= 0.046).

Mortality due to Covid-19 in patients admitted to ICU in Golestan province had a high percentage. The elderly, especially those with underlying diseases, are more likely to die.

 Mental health is one of the non-intentional factors that affect the learning outcome. Teaching the English language may improve by taking mental health into account. English language learners may suffer from mental pressure, which can negatively influence their mental health and inhibit the self-organization of the information in their mind, especially in long-term memory. Therefore, the present study was carried out to apply new methods in English language teaching by considering mental health to boost and improve mental abilities in English language learning, which is supposed to improve the process of self-organization of the information in mind and increase learning health accordingly. 

 To do the present quasi-experimental research, 203 male and female EFL learners at Ardabil University of Medical Sciences were selected and divided into experimental (93 students) and control (110 students) groups. The experimental group received a 12-week intervention comprising three phases: language tree, scenario writing, and verbal visualization techniques to improve their imagination and develop learning experiences using the Learning Second Language Motivational Self-system (L2MSS). A Likert scale self-report questionnaire on learners' L2MSS was administered before and after the interventions. Also, we used the Oxford Placement Test to assess the proficiency level of the participants. An interview with selected students followed this. We used T-test and ANOVA to analyze the collected data.

 Findings indicated that the intervention activities were more effective (p=0.02) in improving the learning experience and motivation of the experimental group participants (MD=2.57, SD=9.7) compared to the control group (MD=-1.25, SD=6.9). Qualitative interview data suggest that the participants find scenario writing more effective than other interventions in increasing their learning experiences motivation. Also, the findings indicated a non-significant effect of language proficiency on the rate of motivation increase.

 It has been found that incorporating visual and imaginative techniques into language learning can significantly benefit the learner's mental well-being and future success. Specifically, this approach can improve motivation, make the learning process more accessible, and help self-regulate English language information in mind. Overall, this can lead to a more efficient and effective learning experience.