Journal of Behdasht dar Arseh (i.e., Health in the Field)

Background and Aims: As a volatile organic chemical, respiratory exposure to  styrene vapors causes health consequences including respiratory disorders. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the pulmonary dysfunction of workers in a plastic injection industry polluted with styrene vapors.

 Materials and Methods: The present study was a retrospective cohort in a plastic injection industry. Fifty production line employees were selected as the exposure group and 20 as the non-exposure control group. First, the environmental concentration of styrene was measured. Then the pulmonary parameters of the staff including the forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), the forced and high-pressure vital capacity (FVC), the deduction of the critical output capacity in the first second of exhalation (FEV1 / FVC) and the maximum expiratory flow (PEF) at the “beginning of the shift” and "after completion" were obtained. Respiratory symptoms of these employees were assessed using a questionnaire of the American Chest Specialists Association (ATS). All the provisions of the Helsinki Declaration were observed in this study.

 Results: The results showed significant differences in some pulmonary capacity parameters including FEV1 and FEV1 / FVC at the beginning and end of the work shift (p <0.05). Respiratory symptoms including cough, burning nose and throat, hoarseness and wheezing were significantly higher in the exposed group than in the non-exposed group (p <0.05).

 Conclusion: The results showed that exposure to styrene is significantly associated with decreased pulmonary capacity and respiratory symptoms.

Background and Aim: Knowledge and behavior of health volunteers can seriously affect the health of their households.  Regarding the prevalence of fast food consumption and its adverse consequences, this study aimed to determine the effect of healthy nutrition education on the behavior of health volunteers in view of fast food consumption.

Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental interventional study was conducted in 2015. Totally, 110 active health volunteers in Dehloran and Abdanan counties of Ilam province (110 subjects in two groups of intervention and control) were participated in the study. Data gathering tool was a demographic and background questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaire in which the knowledge, attitude and behavior of health volunteers about consuming fast food were measured in two stages before and four months after the intervention. Educational intervention was a one-day workshop organized in three parts. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 19 through independent t-test, chi-square, and paired t-test. All stages of the study were conducted according to moral standards.  

Results: Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between demographic and background variables and the mean scores of knowledge, attitude and behaviors regarding the consumption of fast food, in both groups (p>0.05). After the intervention, comparing two groups showed that the mean scores of knowledge, attitude and behavior have changed significantly in experimental group as compared to the control group (p<0.05).  

Conclusion: The results indicate that the implementation of educational programs with a healthy nutrition issue can be effective in correcting malnutrition habits, such as eating fast food.

Background and Aims: The existence of different types of laboratory equipment, as well as chemical and biological materials necessitate a careful planning to prevent possible accidents in the laboratories of medical sciences universities. This study set out to assess the safety and environmental status in educational-research laboratories and its compliance with regulatory criteria.

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, a standardized checklist under the auspicious of the ministry of health was used to assess the situation of 17 laboratories of Golestan University of Medical Sciences in terms of building conditions, physical, chemical and biological hazards, as well as safety and ergonomic. Data were collected via interviews and observations during April to September 2019. SPSS 20 was used to describe obtained information. Ethical principles were observed in all steps of study.

Results: The results showed that more than 62% of safety regulations and environmental requirements were compatible in the laboratories of Golestan University of Medical Sciences. Compliance rates were 61%, 70%, 71%, 59%, 56% and 59% in the sectors of building, physical, chemical and biological hazards, safety and ergonomic, respectively. Lack of proper locating of the laboratory building and allocated limited space were the main problems of these units.

Conclusion:Safety and environmental status of studied laboratories was in the limit of recommended requirements by ministry of health. Nonetheless, the existence of some defects regarding the hazards related to gas cylinders or chemical and biological substances may threaten employee’s health and environment. Hence, an appropriate plan and safe management implementation is needed to prevent accident incidents in the educational-research laboratories.

Background and Aims: Strategic planning has a critical role in achieving competitive advantage for non-for-profit social organizations. However, some strategic plans are failing. This study aimed to identify and to explore the challenges regarding implementing strategic plans in the state welfare (Behzisti) organization, Iran.

Materials and Methods: The present case study was conducted using the qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 30 managers and employees of state welfare organization and its Tehran branch. Framework analysis method was used for data analysis. Ethical issues such as university ethics committee approval, informed consent, voluntary participation, participants’ anonymity, information confidentiality and researchers’ objectivity in data collection, as well as analysis and reporting were all considered.

Results: Overall, 27 strategic plan implementation challenges were identified. These challenges were grouped into seven themes, including leadership and management, planning, organizational culture, organizational learning, employees’ management, resources management and external factors. Lack of justification for strategic planning, insufficient senior managers’ commitment and support, lack of systems thinking, high managers’ turnover, inflexibility of strategic plan, unrealistic operational plans, insufficient education and training, staffs shortage and their heavy workloads, low employees’ involvement in strategic plan implementation, resource shortage, insufficient budget and high inflation rate were among those important strategic plan implementation challenges.

Conclusion: Managers at welfare organization are facing challenges in implementing the strategic plan. A strong leadership and management, proper planning, sufficient education and training, a culture of teamwork, creativity, responsiveness and accountability and effective management of employees, resources and processes are required to implement the strategic plan effectively.

Background and Aims: City gas stations have an important role in safety planning and crisis management. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of climate change on the fire and explosion hazard distance in a CGS station at Qazvin in 2018.

Materials and Methods:  In this study, eight dominant climatic conditions of study province were investigated. The average of 3-year data in relation to atmospheric parameters was prepared from Qazvin Meteorological Organization. The review of risk assessment studies of the target and similar stations in previous years was followed by preparing topographic maps and process information. Then, the type and characteristics of the possible scenario were determined and the consequences of fire and explosion risk were simulated using PHAST software version 7.11. During the study, all ethical requirements were observed.

Results: Climate change was effective on the outcome of fire and explosion risk at the CGS station, so that depending on the decreased and increased ambient temperature, the minimum (278.5 m) and maximum (321.321 m) flame length were obtained in winter and summer, respectively. In winter, the distance and danger zone affected by the explosion was reduced to 686 m. Also in this season, the flame length increased and the danger distance decreased to 9.4 m during day hours.

Conclusion:  Increasing ambient air temperature, atmospheric stability, solar radiation flux, natural gas flow rate and the increased natural gas pressure inside the pipeline results in increased affected distance around the station. On the other hand, the increased relative humidity would cause to reduce the affected distance around the station.

Background and Aims: Absconding from hospitals presents big challenges to the health care systems, with consequences such as delay and incomplete treatment process. Also it may result in increased personal workload and the cost burden of health system. The aim of this study was to determine absconding rate and its driving factors in a public hospital in Bushehr city in 2017-2018.

Materials and Methods: The present descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a general hospital in Bushehr. During the study, patients' information was extracted by a checklist from their medical records between 20 March 2017 and 1 March 2018 using census method. Ethical criteria such as confidentiality of patients' names and the hospital under study were observed.

Results: Absconding rate was found to be 0.18 percentage. The highest number of escapes was noticed in emergency wards (137 and 92%), meaning that in average 6 persons have escaped each month. Mean age of the patients was 29.02 and they stayed 2.07 days in the hospital. The highest frequency of escape was observed in male patients and in singles which occurred in night shift. About 72%  (117) of patients did not have health insurance, but 88% of  unpaid amount was belonged to insured persons. The total amount of damages was estimated to be 1,411,950,080 Rials. The average cost per patient was also appraised to be 9,540,203 Rials.

Conclusion: Despite the low escape rate at the studied hospital, the property damage was significant. Installation of gates and controlling the entry and exit of patients, coupled with increasing the number of physical protection staff and insurance offices, as well as reforming the clearance process and insurance laws are proposed to reduce the occurrence of this problem.