مجله تحقیقات سلامت در جامعه
سال دهم شماره 1 (بهار 1403)

The psychological contract of safety can be conceptualized as the beliefs of individuals about mutual safety obligations that are inferred from implicit or explicit promises. The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the psychological contract of safety questionnaire.

After forward-backward translation of Walker's safety psychological contract questionnaire (2010), face and content validity assessments were conducted, including the content validity ratio and content validity index with participation of 20 occupational health and safety experts. Its reliability was evaluated using the test-retest method involving 30 participants, and construct validity was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis with 320 participants from the target population. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 22) and AMOS software (version 24). A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered.

In terms of face and content validity, one item related to the safety obligations of the employer was removed due to a low impact score and content validity index. The Cronbach's alpha values for the employer and employee safety obligations questionnaires indicated excellent (<0.90) and good (0.75-0.90) reliability, respectively. Additionally, their intraclass correlation coefficient was considered acceptable. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit index for the employee and employer safety obligations questionnaires, which consisted of 15 and 11 items, respectively.

The psychological contract of safety questionnaire, consisting of two indicators, namely employee safety obligations with the dimensions of "communication and reporting behavior" and "adaptive behavior" as well as the employer safety obligations with the dimensions of "employee safety benefits" and "supply of resources" demonstrated acceptale validity and reliability.

Leachate of the urban waste landfill is one of the most contaminated wastewaters that can pollute surface and groundwater sources, especially the environment. The production trend of urban wastewater is also increasing with a sharp rise in population and the development of urbanization. To address this environmental issue, the present study aimed to consider the simultaneous treatment of mixed landfill leachate and urban wastewater using the electrochemical coagulation process.

The present laboratory study was carried out on the effluent produced from the landfill and urban wastewater produced in Qaemshahr. In this study, effective parameters in the electrochemical coagulation process, including the type of electrodes (iron and aluminum), electrode arrangement (monopolar series-parallel and bipolar series), current intensity (0.5, 1, and 2 amperes), and the initial pH of the wastewater (3.2, 6.1, and 11.4) were investigated for the reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in wastewater containing a mixture of landfill leachate and urban wastewater (in equal proportions). After the appropriate electrode selection under default conditions (current intensity of 1 ampere, wastewater pH, and a duration of 120 min), the impacts of the current intensity and the initial pH of the wastewater on the COD removal rate in various electrode arrangements were assessed. Furthermore, the results were reported after three repetitions for validation purposes.

Under optimal conditions, the iron electrode in a monopolar series arrangement with a current intensity of 2 amperes under the wastewater pH and a duration of 120 min resulted in a 57.8% COD removal.

Regarding the acceptable performance of the electrochemical coagulation process, it is possible to utilize its potential to treat municipal wastewater and landfill leachate.

Immigrants are more susceptible to somatic symptom disorder because they often experience a series of traumatic and stressful events in their pre- and post-immigration lives. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between demographic characteristics and the severity of somatic symptoms in Iranian immigrants living in Germany.

This correlational and cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to explore the association between demographic characteristics and the severity of somatic symptoms of Iranian immigrants living in Germany in the summer of 2023. A total of 253 Iranian immigrants in Germany participated in this research, providing their responses via an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of two parts of demographic information (including age, gender, marital status, education, occupation, proficiency in English and German, immigration ways, and length of stay) and a 15-item somatic symptoms questionnaire of the Patient Health Questionnaire by Spitzer et al. (1999). The collected data were subsequently analyzed in SPSS software (version 26) using descriptive statistics and stepwise regression.

The participants included 155 women and 98 men, with an average age of 35.15 and a standard deviation of 6.95. The average somatic symptoms in the groups of women (8.97), divorced people (10.9), diploma education and less (9.33), unemployed people (9.39), English language proficiency at the basic level (9.75) and German (9.96), migration through asylum (9.91), and six months stay (8.89) were higher than other groups. The regression model in five steps identified the variables of German language proficiency, gender, English language proficiency, migration ways, and marital status to predict the severity of somatic symptoms. The multiple correlation coefficient was 0.63, and the coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.40, which indicates that demographic characteristics can explain 40% of the changes in somatic symptoms of immigrants.

It is essential to pay attention to the demographic characteristics of individuals in researching and treatment of somatic symptoms. Considering the individual-social background and the current situation of the immigrant will be the basis for better guidance in healthcare services.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among females, and one of the influential factors in the course of cervical cancer is the health literacy of patients. This study aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy and determinants of performing Pap smear tests based on the Protection Motivation Model.

A sectional study was conducted on eligible females visiting the health center in the city of Muchesh, Iran in the year 2022. In total, 216 individuals were selected through a census. Data collection was performed using the Population Information Questionnaire, the Health Literacy Assessment Tool for the urban population of Iran (18-65 years old), and the Structured Questionnaire of Motivational Protection Theory. The collected data were entered into SPSS software (version 22), and analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation. The significance level was considered at P < 0.05.

The study results showed that the mean scores of health literacy, reading comprehension, access, perception, evaluation, and decision-making were 84.24 ± 9.30, 18.28 ± 6.30, 78.29 ± 4.30, 65.27 ± 9.31, 21.24 ± 6.31, and 29.25 ± 7.30, respectively. Health literacy had a significant relationship with the perceived severity score, perceived susceptibility score, perceived response efficacy score, perceived self-efficacy score, perceived rewards score, and the overall score (P<0.05). However, health literacy had no relationship with the perceived sensitivity score, perceived response cost score, and protection motivation score.

Women's health literacy has a direct and significant impact on some of the determinants of Pap smear test performance. In other words, women with higher levels of health literacy are more inclined to undergo Pap smear tests.

Policymakers can enhance personnel performance and consequently, improve the quality of healthcare by evaluation of suitable leadership styles for health organizations and establishment of effective team groups. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the leadership styles of nursing managers and the teamwork of nurses.

This descriptive-analytic study was conducted among 500 nurses working in eight selected university hospitals in Mashhad and Zahedan, Iran (2022). Data were collected using two standard questionnaires on leadership styles and teamwork through interviews. Descriptive statistical methods, such as the mean and standard deviation, were employed to determine leadership style and teamwork scores. Additionally, Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to investigate the relationship between these two variables.

The dominant leadership style among the participants was transformational leadership (37.6%). The overall mean teamwork score was 3.66±0.48, with 91.8% of nurses scoring teamwork 3 or higher. Transformational and passive leadership styles exhibited the highest and lowest relationships with teamwork, respectively (P<0.05). Additionally, the mean teamwork score among nurses with managers exhibiting a transformational leadership style was higher, compared to other styles (P<0.05).

Managers and executive supervisors can positively impact teamwork and consequently, the performance indicators of their unit by adopting a transformational leadership style and enhancing their leadership knowledge. To achieve this goal, it is suggested to conduct in-service training courses. Additionally, selecting supervisors of centers who promote teamwork and designing a mechanism to collect feedback from hospital personnel regarding the leadership style of their direct managers are recommended.

With increasing age in men, the level of some essential hormones in their bodies gradually decreases, leading to physical and psychological symptoms in middle-aged and elderly men, known as andropause. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between body image and self-esteem in andropausal men referring to health centers in Neka, Iran.

In this descriptive-analytical study, 376 elderly 60 years and older living in Neka were studied, applying the multistage cluster sampling method. Data were collected using a demographic information questionnaire, the Iranian Male Andropause Symptoms Self-Assessment Questionnaire (MASSQ), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). Descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage, and parametric tests, including Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and linear regression, were used to analyze the collected data.

The mean (SD) age of the participating elderly was 66.6 ± 5.5 years, with an age range of 60-91 years. The education level of more than half of the elderly was elementary school (66.1%). Approximately half of the participants suffered from chronic diseases. The mean (SD) self-esteem and body image scores of the elderly were 5.78 ± 3.44 and 176.33 ± 18.33, respectively. The test results showed that the variables of number of years of marriage had a significant inverse relationship, and the number of sexual relationships per month had a significant direct relationship with self-esteem score. In aadition, the results of spouse's age and number of children variables had a significant inverse relationship with body image score. Multiple linear regression results showed that variables, including occupation, spouse's occupation, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, body mass index, physical activity, underlying disease, physical illness, number of relationships per month, years of marriage, and body image score, had a significant relationship.

Understanding the meaning of body image, its influencing factors, and how they relate to the self-esteem of the elderly helps them to have a positive body image of themselves, which leads to the enhancement of their psychological-social status and improvement in their quality of life.

Diabetes is one of the most common non-communicable diseases, with the highest prevalence among metabolic diseases in the world. Depression, stress, and anxiety are observed in diabetic patients. Patients' Self-care status is the most important factor in controlling diabetes. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the relationship of stress, anxiety, and depression with self-care in type 2 diabetic patients.

This study was conducted based on a cross-sectional design. The statistical population consisted of 266 people with type 2 diabetes who were referred to the diabetes clinic of Bu-Ali Hospital in Zahedan between December and March 2022. Data collection was performed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21) and diabetes self-care behavior questionnaire. The content validity ratio and content validity index of the questionnaire was 0.84, and Cronbach's alpha was 0.9. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) using Pearson's correlation test and logistic regression.

The results demonstrated that the average age of the participants was 53.8 years. Moreover, 69.9% of participants were female, 98.9% were married, and 67.3% had a high school education. The average scores of stress, anxiety, depression, and self-care behavior were 18.8, 17.4, 18.7, and 25.9, respectively. Based on the results of demographic variables, 11% of the participants exhibited self-care behavior, and education level was significant (P<0.05). A higher level of education had a positive effect on behavior (P<0.05). The regression results reported 13% of self-care behavior; moreover, the variables of education level, stress, anxiety, and depression had a significant effect on the behavior (P<0.05). Higher education levels and low stress, anxiety, and depression had a positive impact on behavior.

As evidenced by the results of this study, Self-care increased at higher education levels, and self-care decreased with an increase in stress, anxiety, and depression.

Indicators of social accountability in medical education institutions are necessary for the improvement of community health needs. In this regard, the present research aimed to investigate the social accountability at Ilam University of Medical Sciences in the period before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The present survey research was carried out in 2022 on students and professors of medicine and dentistry (n=788). The data were collected by standard questionnaire of Social Accountability of Medical Education. This questionnaire included 0 components and 85 items.

The results showed that the mean scores of the components of medical school standards range (24.9) (P=0.0002), amount of quality improvement in education and research (34.4) (P=0.0003), amount of mandatory mechanism for accreditation (23.2) (P=0.003), and amount of global principles with the characteristics of the context (33.8) (P=0.002) were in an unfavorable situation during the COVID-19 pandemic from the point of view of both professors and students. These values had a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) with those in the the pre-COVID-19 pandemic. The component of evolving roles of doctors and other health professions (82.5) (P=0.098) and responsive and effective management (74.8) (P=0.0001) were in a favorable situation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given the diversity of the performance of groups regarding the mentioned areas and criteria and considering that most of the cases related to education received a low score, there is a need to create a foundation for increasing social accountability.

Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging pollutant with a long environmental persistence. Although several studies were conducted on MPs pollution in aquatic environments, soil environments received less attention due to the intangibility of pollution and the difficulty of evaluating MPs in soil. The present systematic study aimed to investigate the contamination of MPs in municipal waste landfill soil.

This systematic review was performed in accordance with the principles of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). To that end, the databases PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and internal databases of Magiran and SID were searched using the terms Microplastic, Soil, landfill, and their MeSH equivalents until 2023. Finally, 15 studies were evaluated after being screened based on the entry/exit criteria and study objectives.

According to studies, the type and quantity of microplastics in the soil of municipal solid waste landfills are affected by various parameters. Microplastics had different concentrations and particle sizes from less than 10 μm to more than 5 mm. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were the most extracted chemical compounds. The MPs levels fluctuated with sampling depth and rose with the age of the landfill site and plastic components. Smaller-sized microplastics were most frequent in regions where plastic debris had been subjected to severe weathering.

The enormous production of plastic waste and its health and ecological risks as an emerging and persistent pollutant in the environment emphasizes the importance of implementing programs to minimize plastic materials use and increase recycling of its waste. On the other hand, given the importance of soil quality in the food chain and its direct impact on air and water pollution, continuous monitoring and control of soil pollution with these substances, as well as research into the sources of their entry into the environment, can help to manage this challenge.

Leishmaniasis is classified as a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania protozoa and transmitted to humans by sandfly bites. The frequency of vectors, the high cost of drugs, long-term treatments, and drug resistance are some of the most serious obstacles to controlling this disease. In this regard, the present study investigated the effect of maggot therapy as a new method in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis wounds. In maggot therapy, larvae of calliphorid flies are used to treat chronic wounds.

The present study was a non-systematic review. Data were collected using the keywords “leishmaniasis”, “leishmania”, “maggot therapy” and “fly larvae” from PubMed, Ovid Medline, Web of Science, SID, and Scopus databases as well as Google Scholar search engine from 2008 to 2023. In this research, all published studies related to maggot therapy for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis wounds were included and examined.

Larvae can help generate healthy new skin through tissue granulation in the wound bed. These larvae mechanically reduce the microbial load in the wounds through the movement of the oral appendages on the wound and at the same time by secreting proteolytic and anti-parasitic compounds, leading to wound healing.

Maggot therapy is used to treat chronic wounds and has a healing effect. Since maggot therapy is a natural and low-cost option, it can be used as an alternative treatment method for patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis resistant to common drugs.