ORIGINAL_ARTICLE Effect of health, safety, and environment management system training on safety climate in a mine in Yazd Province, Iran Background: Today, with the development of technology, the presence and role of human resources has been highlighted in industrial environments. Hence, the importance of safety culture is growing. Mining is the one of the most dangerous occupations. Therefore, this study was performed to determine the effect of health, safety, and environment management system (HSE-MS) on safety climate in one of the mines in Yazd Province, Iran, in 2014. Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 32 employees of the operations unit working in one of the mines in Yazd Province. The standard 20-item Safety Climate Questionnaire (α = 0.77) which was valid and reliable was used to evaluate the safety culture at the unit. In this questionnaire, the items were scored based on a 5-point Likert scale. Data were collected before and 2 months after the HSE-MS training courses. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were willingness to participate in the project, at least 1 year of work experience, and the lack of specific and neurological diseases. The collected data were entered into SPSS statistical software. Results: In this study, 28.1% of the study population was single and 71.9% married. The average score of the safety climate dimensions of managerial commitment, safety communications, safe environment, responsibility of managers, perception of risk, job satisfaction, and knowledge and awareness of safety issues was 11.09 ± 2.66, 7.50 ± 2.36, 8.09 ± 1.92, 6.56 ± 1.58, 8.43 ± 1.56, 4.59 ± 1.58, and 4.25 ± 1.27, respectively. The dimension of understanding of risk and knowledge and awareness of safety issues were predictors of job satisfaction in workers. Conclusions: It can be concluded that attitudes of the examined miners toward safety climate were at a moderate level, and that the level of their attitudes increased after the HSE-MS training course. Therefore, safety climate can be greatly improved with HSE-MS training course. http://johe.rums.ac.ir/article-1-153-en.pdf 2016-09-28 198 204 10.18869/acadpub.johe.4.4.198 Safety Climate Mining Occupational Health A Firoozi Chahak 1 Dept. of Occupational Health, Faculty of Health, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran. AUTHOR MH Beheshti beheshtihasan8@gmail.com 2 Dept. of Occupational Health, Faculty of Health, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran. AUTHOR M Poursadeghiyan 3 Dept. of Ergonomics, School of Rehabilitation, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran AUTHOR
OTHERS_CITABLE The impact of exposure to pesticides on the risk of gastrointestinal cancer among pistachio farmers; a case-control study Background: Gastrointestinal cancers are among the most common cancers in different communities. Gastrointestinal tract cancer is the most common cancer among Iranian men and the second common cancer among Iranian women. Due to the impact of environmental factors on the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and the increasing use of agricultural pesticides, this study aimed to investigate the effects of exposure to pesticides on gastrointestinal cancer among  pistachio farmers, Rafsanjan, Iran Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 79 patients with gastrointestinal cancer (cases) and 143 healthy people (controls) were studied. For each case, two people were selected as controls for each case  from  their neighbors and relatives. Data were  collected  using the study checklist which included demographic  information and specific items related to their exposure. Data were  analyzed using independent t-test, chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and logistic regression.  Results: The risk of gastrointestinal cancer after controlling some confounding factors among individuals who were exposed to  spraying pesticides  for less than 10 days per year was 1.38 (CI: 0.70-2.71), and in individuals who were exposed to it for between 10 to 20 days per year was 1.71 (CI: 0.79-3.7). The difference was not statistically significant . However, for individuals who had this exposure for more than 20 days per year, the risk was increased to 8.53 (CI: 2.1-34.7) which was statistically significant (P = 0.004). Unexpected exposure to agricultural pesticides and living close to pistachio gardens, both significantly (P < 0.05) increased the risk of gastrointestinal cancers by 8.67 (CI: 1-75.71) and 2.7 (CI: 1.43-5.1), respectively. Among subjects who used  protective equipment, the risk of gastrointestinal cancer was statistically lower (OR = 0.18, 95%CI: 0.042-0.85) than this risk among people who did not use this equipment (P = 0.03). Conclusions: Our findings showed that exposure to pesticides, in particular for long time, increased the risk of gastrointestinal cancer among pistachio farmers. Further studies in this area are recommended. http://johe.rums.ac.ir/article-1-151-en.pdf 2016-11-06 205 212 10.18869/acadpub.johe.4.4.205 Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Toxins Pistachios Iran R Vazirinejad 1 Social Social Determinants Of Health Research Centre, Medical School, Rafsanjan University of Medical Science, Rafsanjan, Iran. AUTHOR P Khalili parvinkhalili61@yahoo.com 2 Rafsanjan University Of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran. AUTHOR M Rezaeian 3 Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Occupational Environmental Research Center, Medical School, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran. AUTHOR A Jamalizadeh 4 Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. AUTHOR AH Puorkarami 5 Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran. AUTHOR
ORIGINAL_ARTICLE Survey of stressful life events among diabetic and non-diabetic elderly individuals in Rafsanjan, Iran, in 2015 Background: Due to the increasing number of stressful life events among the elderly and the rapid spread of diabetes among them, the present study compared the stressful life events of diabetic elderly with those of non-diabetic elderly. Materials and Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 240 senior citizens of over 60 years of age (120 diabetic patients and 120 non-diabetics) of Rafsanjan, Iran. They were chosen through convenience sampling from among visitors of the Diabetes Clinic and Ali Ebne Abitaleb Laboratory in Rafsanjan. The data collection tool used was the questionnaire designed by Pickel et al. This questionnaire consists of two parts; one part is related to demographic information and the other to stressful life events. To analyze the data, Mann-Whitney test, chi-squared, Fisher’s exact test, and independent t-test were employed in SPSS software. Results: The frequency of psychological stresses caused by familial, personal, and environmental factors was higher among the diabetic elderly (P < 0.05). In addition, the frequency of psychological stresses caused by social stressful factors was higher among the non-diabetic elderly. The number of occupational-financial and environmental stressful factors was more among male diabetic patients, and the number of personal stressful factors was more among female patients (P < 0.05). The number of occupational-financial stressful factors was significantly higher among non-diabetic men than women (P < 0.05).  Conclusions: According to the results, stressful factors play a major role in the onset of diabetes.  By recognizing the sources of stress with the assistance of patients, and their family and medical team, effective steps can be taken to prevent and control its probable effects and side effects. http://johe.rums.ac.ir/article-1-166-en.pdf 2016-11-08 213 222 10.18869/acadpub.johe.4.4.213 Stressful Events Elderly Diabetic M Ghiyasi 1 Dept. of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran. AUTHOR HA Abedi drabediedu@yahoo.com 2 Dept. of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran. AUTHOR A Khodadadizade 3 Dept. of Nursing ,School of Nursing & Midwifery, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran;PhD Student in Disaster ;Emergency Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR
ORIGINAL_ARTICLE Cadmium contamination of drinking water and its treatment using biological chelators Background: Cadmium (Cd) is an extremely toxic metal and environmental exposure to Cd has been particularly problematic in the world. Oral exposure to Cd may result in adverse effects on a number of tissues, the immune system, and the cardiovascular system. Compounds containing Cd are also carcinogenic. The presence of Cd in drinking water resources in the southeastern region of Rafsanjan plain (Iran) at concentrations greater than acceptable limits may result in various adverse health effects. The aim of this research was to test the chelation potency of deferasirox (DFS or ICL670), a tridentate metal chelator, and deferiprone (L1), a bidentate metal chelator, in the mobilization of Cd in Cd-exposed rats as a biological model. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were exposed to 40 mg/kg body weight of cadmium chloride in drinking water for 6 weeks, followed by treatment with DFS (100 mg/kg body weight, oral, once daily) and L1 (100 mg/kg body weight, oral, once daily), alone or in combination, for 7 consecutive days. After chelation therapy, the rats were anesthetized by ether vapor and immobilized by cervical dislocation. Then, their heart, liver, kidneys, intestine, and blood were sampled for clinical hematological variables and determination of Cd and Fe concentration by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The data were subjected to statistical analysis using Student’s t-test. All Ρ values of less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: The results show that both chelators (DFS and L1) increase the removal of Cd from the tissues. No effects of Cd or any of the two treatments (L1 or DFS) were observed on white blood cell (WBC) count, red blood cell (RBC) count, and hemoglobin‎ (Hb) level. Conclusions: The comparison of single and combined therapy showed that the combined chelation therapy (DFS + L1) was more effective in depleting Cd concentration in soft tissues. http://johe.rums.ac.ir/article-1-179-en.pdf 2016-11-09 223 228 10.18869/acadpub.johe.4.4.223 Chelation Therapy Cadmium Drinking Water Rats A Amiri a.amiri@pnu.ac.ir 1 Dept. of Chemistry, Payame Noor University, P.O. Box, 19395-3697, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR Z Mirhoseiny mirhoseiny@gmail.com 2 Dept. of Chemistry, Payame Noor University, P.O. Box, 19395-3697, Tehran, Iran AUTHOR
ORIGINAL_ARTICLE A suitable data model for HIV infection and epidemic detection Background: In recent years, there has been an increase in the amount and variety of data generated in the field of healthcare, (e.g., data related to the prevalence of contagious diseases in the society). Various patterns of individuals’ relationships in the society make the analysis of the network a complex, highly important process in detecting and preventing the incidence of diseases. Therefore, it would be helpful to propose a model for storing and processing related data which is especially designed for such an application. Materials and Methods: In this paper, a data model is proposed for the management of data for individuals infected with contagious diseases. This data model has the ability to efficiently detect the path of infectious diseases and the probable epidemicity. The proposed model is based on the graph data model, a type of NoSQL data model. In order to design this data model, essential requirements and queries were determined based on the needs of experts in this field. Results: The proposed data model was experimentally evaluated using Neo4j, a well-known graph data management system. It is shown in this paper that the proposed data model has a better performance than the traditional relational model in terms of system utilization and performance (i.e., data storage space, complexity and the time of finding the shortest infection path between two individuals, traversing the graph, finding at risk individuals, and etc.). Conclusions: The management of data for epidemic detection of HIV infection requires an appropriate data model that can provide the required functionalities and features with an acceptable quality. Graph data models are suitable NoSQL models for some of these features (e.g., epidemic detection via traversing of the graph). The proposed graph-based data model provides the main functionalities and features while outperforming performance and utilization metrics. http://johe.rums.ac.ir/article-1-167-en.pdf 2016-11-16 229 240 10.18869/acadpub.johe.4.4.229 Model Contagious Disease Epidemic HIV AA Safaei aa.safaei@modares.ac.ir 1 Dept. of Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran AUTHOR M Azad Morteza.azad@outlook.com 2 Dept. of Computer Engineering, Qeshm International Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran. AUTHOR F Abdi fasaabdi@nima.ac.ir 3 Nima Institute, Mahmoodabad, Mazandaran, Iran. AUTHOR
ORIGINAL_ARTICLE Health risk assessment of heavy metals in roadside soil along the Hemmat Highway of Tehran, Iran, in 2014 Background: The present study investigated the impact of land use on health risks (cancerous and non-cancerous) of heavy metals in soil along the Hemmat Highway of Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: A total of 28 soil samples were collected in August 2014 from the roadside soil of the Hemmat Highway. The collected samples were air-dried and digested, and then, analyzed for heavy metals using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were calculated for different land uses (green space, residential area, under construction, and natural) along the Hemmat Highway. Results: The hazard index (HI) of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, and Ni was, respectively, 0.28, 0.19 × 10-2, 0.032, 0.043, 0.006 for children, and was 0.037, 0.24 × 10-3, 0.014, 0.012, 0.76 × 10-3 for adults. Carcinogenic risk of metals was analyzed for Cd, Cr, and Ni. The carcinogenic risk ‎of Pb, Ni, Zn, and Cd was 0.144 × 10-7, 0.427 × 10-6, and 9.41 × 10-2, respectively. Conclusions: The carcinogenic risk levels of the three studied metals were < 10-6 with higher values attributed to Cr‎. HIs for all metals were lower than their threshold values, indicating nil health hazards. The results of risk assessment showed that the highest risk value was related to ingestion of Pb. http://johe.rums.ac.ir/article-1-184-en.pdf 2016-12-11 241 251 10.18869/acadpub.johe.4.4.241 Health Risk Land Soil Heavy Metal A Movafagh Afsaneh_movafagh@yahoo.com 1 Dept. of Environmental and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR N Mansouri nmansourin@yahoo.com 2 Dept. of Environmental and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR F Moattar famoattar@yahoo.com 3 Dept. of Environmental and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran. Iran. AUTHOR AR Vafaeinejad a_vafaei@srbiau.ac.ir 4 Dept. of Remote Sensing and GIS, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR
ORIGINAL_ARTICLE The relationship of body mass index and waist-hip ratio with shift work among military personnel in 2016 Background: Today, obesity is considered as a health problem that increases the risk of some diseases. Therefore, identifying the effective factors on obesity is of great importance. Shift work is one of the indicators for increased risk of obesity in society and also shift work may cause various health problems for workers in military organizations. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between shift work, and body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) among military personnel in 2016. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 100 male military personnel in Southern Iran in June-July 2016. The participants were divided into two groups based on their working schedule; shift work (50 personnel) and day work (50 personnel). The two groups were similar in terms of type of work. The subjects were selected through ‎simple random sampling. The data collection tools consisted of a tape measure and a digital balance. Data analysis and comparison of BMI and WHR in the two groups were performed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation in SPSS. Results: The findings revealed that mean body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, BMI, and WHR were higher in shift workers than day workers. The findings of the current study showed that 81.6% of shift workers had a BMI of higher than 25 kg/m2 and 80.3% of shift workers had a WHR of higher than 0.90 m. Moreover, 86.2% of day workers had a BMI of less than 25 kg/m2 and 83.1% of days workers had a WHR of less than 0.90 m. The Pearson correlation coefficient for BMI (r = 0.71) and WHR (r = 0.64) in shift workers were higher than day workers. Conclusions: The findings of this research showed that shift work increased the risk of overweight and obesity. Increased BMI and WHR are the cause of disease and require intervention measures (job rotation, sports activities, and avoidance of long duration of shift work) among shift workers. http://johe.rums.ac.ir/article-1-194-en.pdf 2016-12-12 252 259 10.18869/acadpub.johe.4.4.252 Body Mass Index Waist-Hip Ratio Shift Work Military Personnel A Ghanbary Sartang aioobghanbary@ymail.com 1 School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. AUTHOR M Ashnagar m.ashna63@yahoo.com 2 Bandar Abbas, Iran AUTHOR E Habibi habibi@hlth.mui.ac.ir 3 School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. AUTHOR I Nowrouzi habibi@hlth.mui.ac.ir 4 Omidiyeh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Omidiyeh, Iran. AUTHOR H Ghasemi 5 Omidiyeh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Omidiyeh, Iran. AUTHOR
OTHERS_CITABLE Sexually transmitted infections in Iran: A literature review Background: The global burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is noticeable and important. However, most STIs are curable and all of them are preventable. In this article, we reviewed and evaluated STI prevalence, current services, existing programs, and the challenges of control and management them in Iran. Materials and Methods: The author searched literature published from 2005 to 2015 in PubMed, MEDLINE, Google, Embase, and Cochran library databases, and by UNAIDS, , the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Health Ministry of Iran. A variety of Medical Subject Headings ‎(MeSH) terms were used to access the literature. Results: The present review revealed that the prevalence of contamination with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Iran has decreased dramatically in recent years. The prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in the Iranian population did not exceed the estimated prevalence of these infections in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Although the condition of HIV epidemy is concentrated in Iran, its prevalence in the general population, based on literature, is extremely low. Centers of behavioral disease counseling, women centers, and positive clubs are three available centers in Iran helping in STI/AIDS prevalence reduction. The changing trend of HIV transmission pattern and lack of youth friendly services are the two main challenges of STI/AIDS prevention in Iran. Conclusions: The overall prevalence of STIs and HIV/AIDS is low in Iran. However, neglecting youth sexual activity and premarital sexual relationships could result in the failure of the STIs and HIV/AIDS prevention programs. http://johe.rums.ac.ir/article-1-164-en.pdf 2017-03-13 260 265 10.18869/acadpub.johe.4.4.260 Sexually Transmitted Infections Iran Review Z Ghorashi zghorashi@yahoo.com 1 Dept. of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing Midwifery, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran. AUTHOR