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

Background and Aims: The importance of breastfeeding for the growth, development, and survival of infants, as well as its beneficial effects on the health of mothers, families, and society has always been emphasized.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study with a descriptive-analytical approach was conducted on 200 mothers of children aged 24 months who attended comprehensive health service centers in 2024. Data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire consisting of two sections, demographic questions and constructs of the theory of planned behavior. Data analysis was performed using simple linear regression, Pearson correlation, and independent t-tests. Ethical considerations were observed at all stages of the study.

Results: The mean age of the mothers was 28.64±4.68 years. The mean age at the introduction of complementary feeding was 6.28±1.71 months. Significant associations were observed between breastfeeding duration and mothers’ education (P=0.005), occupation (P=0.012), type of milk consumed (P=0.05), and mode of delivery, either cesarean or natural (P=0.016). Self-efficacy (β=0.404) and attitude (β=0.225) were identified as the strongest predictors of mothers’ intention to breastfeed.

Conclusion: In the present study, mothers’ education, occupation, mode of delivery, and perceived self-efficacy were identified as the most important predictors of breastfeeding duration. Therefore, by providing necessary education—particularly to mothers with low awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding—promoting natural delivery, enhancing mothers’ self-efficacy and offering appropriate support, healthcare professionals and policymakers can help promote widespread exclusive breastfeeding practices, thereby improving the health and well-being of both mothers and infants.

Background and Aims: Occupational cancers pose a serious challenge in the field of occupational health. This study aimed to develop an initial ontology model for organizing and analyzing data related to this disease. This ontology can serve as a foundation for building knowledge-based decision support systems, improving early diagnosis, and providing more effective treatment solutions.

Materials and Methods: The statistical population of this research consisted of terms and phrases related to occupational cancers published in reputable scientific publications and sources such as the International Labour Organization. Utilizing knowledge engineering methods, particularly modern methods and McGuinness, concepts and semantic relationships were extracted. Finally, Protégé software was used to construct and implement the initial ontology model. Ethical considerations were observed at all stages of the study.

Results: The ontology design results indicated the identification of 1 superclass, 6 classes, and 94 instances. This ontology was developed in seven stages, focusing on five main features of the entities. Feedback from a panel of experts in related fields, such as occupational health and occupational medicine, was obtained to assess the ontology’s validity, which led to the confirmation of its structure and content.

Conclusion: The results of this study led to the design of a preliminary ontology model for occupational cancers. By providing a common language to describe concepts and relationships, this ontology can contribute to improving research and management processes for these diseases. However, further development of the ontology, considering more complex relationships and higher hierarchical levels, could enhance its accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Background and Aims: Occupational diseases arise from working conditions and professional activities, whereas non-occupational diseases are caused by factors outside the workplace. This article examines the occupational health records of industrial workers and analyzes the prevalence of both occupational and non-occupational diseases.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted in 2023, examined the occupational health records of 6953 workers from seven major industries. All personal information of participants was kept strictly confidential in accordance with ethical standards. The records of all employees in these industries were evaluated through a census approach to identify and analyze existing diseases. The results of this assessment were analyzed using SPSS software version 22 and descriptive statistical indicators. All ethical considerations related to conducting the study were strictly observed.

Results: Based on the collected data, hearing loss (37.01%) was the most common occupational disease among workers, followed by low back pain (10.89%). Among non-occupational diseases, hyperlipidemia (21.3%) and hypertension (8.21%) showed the highest prevalence. Occupational asthma (0.37%) had the lowest frequency among occupational diseases, while polycythemia (1.1%) had the lowest prevalence among non-occupational diseases. The occurrence of general non-occupational diseases (51.20%) was higher than that of occupational diseases (48%).

Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that hearing loss and low back pain, as occupational diseases, and hyperlipidemia and hypertension, as non-occupational diseases, pose significant threats to the health of industrial workers due to their high prevalence. These results serve as a serious warning for industries in the field of occupational health. Therefore, the implementation of targeted health monitoring policies and preventive interventions in workplaces is essential.

Background and Aims: Insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancer, and chronic diseases in adulthood. This study aimed to determine the effect of education based on the Theory of Planned Behavior on fruit and vegetable consumption among fifth-grade female students.

Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial conducted on 74 fifth-grade female students in schools in Mashhad (2021). Participants were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Following a needs assessment based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, an educational intervention was designed and implemented for the intervention group. Assessments were conducted immediately and three months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24, applying the Mann–Whitney, Chi-square, Fisher’s exact tests, and descriptive statistics at a significance level of 0.05. Ethical considerations were observed at all stages of the study.

Results: Before the intervention, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior, including attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention. However, after the intervention, the mean scores of these constructs in the intervention group increased significantly immediately and three months post-intervention (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Education based on the Theory of Planned Behavior can improve students’ attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention regarding fruit and vegetable consumption, playing an effective role in promoting health and preventing chronic diseases.

Background and Aims: The present study aimed to assess the level of stress among dental students in Shahrekord during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a total of 122 dental students participated in 2021. Participants completed a two-part questionnaire consisting of demographic information and dental environment stress. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22. Ethical considerations were observed at all stages of the study.

Results: The mean dental environment stress score was 75.67 ± 1.16. The highest score was related to the academic factors dimension, with a mean of 56.5 ± 1.6. Significant differences were observed between students’ year of entry and the level of stress in certain dimensions of the Dental Environment Stress (DES) scale including academic performance, patient treatment, academic factors, and clinical training. The indices measured were considerably lower in first-year students compared to those in higher years.

Conclusion: The dental environment stress among the students studied was at a moderate level, with the highest stress observed in the academic factors dimension. By providing effective strategies during critical situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible to reduce students’ stress, anxiety, and depression through necessary training, identification of at-risk individuals, and offering counseling, thereby preventing the occurrence of related complications and problems.

Background and Aims: It is necessary to adopt an appropriate management approach to reduce the pollution burden of restaurant food waste due to the potential for environmental problems and economic losses. To this end, this study examines the waste production status in Ilam Gas Refining Company restaurant and evaluates the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the waste produced.

Materials and Methods: Waste segregation and the total amount of waste generated were evaluated over seven working days in two seasons of the year. To determine the characteristics of restaurant food waste, daily composite sampling was conducted, and physicochemical analyses were performed according to standard methods. Ethical considerations were observed throughout the study.

Results: Total amount of daily generated waste by the restaurant was 200.7 kg, which consists of 50.32% food waste and 49.68% recyclable waste. Total waste, food waste, and dry waste are 167, 84, and 83g per day per capita, respectively. The qualitative analysis of the food waste showed that the moisture, organic matter, organic carbon, total nitrogen, fat and oil, required chemical oxygen, C/N ratio, pH, and density were 70.5%, 84%, 58.8%, 2.1%, 7.6%, 68.68%, 28, 4.9, and 624 kg/m3, respectively.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that waste segregation at the source was well implemented and the amount of waste generated by the restaurant was very low. The qualitative characteristics of the food waste suggest its potential use as a primary feedstock in dark fermentation, anaerobic digestion for energy production, composting, vermicomposting, and black soldier fly larval production for the generation of fertilizer and animal and poultry feed.

Background and Aims: Date palm is one of Iran’s strategic agricultural products; therefore, evaluating and monitoring the quality of its cultivation, harvesting, packaging, and processing is of great importance. The aim of this study was to assess the compliance with hygiene guidelines in date packing and collection centers in Kerman province and to propose corrective strategies to improve these conditions.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted with the participation of 10 experts. Data were collected using two questionnaires: the first questionnaire was designed for strategic analysis of internal and external factors affecting total quality management, and the second questionnaire was used for pairwise comparison of improvement strategies based on the Best–Worst Multi-Criteria Decision-Making method. Data analysis was performed using Excel, Expert Choice, and MATLAB software. The study was carried out with full adherence to ethical principles and considerations at all stages.

Results: According to the results, date packaging centers scored 0.015 and 0.006 in the internal and external factors matrices, respectively, placing them in the aggressive quadrant. Among the SWOT factors, “absence of unauthorized personnel at the workplace,” “lack of customer control over product hygienic quality,” “continuous environmental health monitoring,” and “lack of coordination with competitors” received the highest scores for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, respectively. Additionally, in the ranking of improvement strategies, training held the greatest importance with a weight of 0.331.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that date packaging centers, leveraging their internal strengths and environmental opportunities, have a suitable capacity for quality improvement, with training identified as the most effective strategy to prioritize in enhancement efforts.

Background and Aims: Construction waste constitutes a significant proportion of the total waste generated by human societies. The depletion of natural resources and the extensive consumption of raw materials for producing construction materials, on the one hand, and the disposal of generated waste in the environment, on the other, not only impose economic challenges but also pose potential environmental risks. This study investigates the underlying causes of construction waste generation, explores strategies for its minimization at construction sites, and examines the associated challenges in Iran. The main objective of this research is to identify the existing challenges in construction waste management.

Materials and Methods: This study was conducted by examining construction waste with a focus on its generation and reduction methods in five selected projects across four cities, at different stages of construction, and in both public and private sectors. Three approaches—review, interview, observation, and questionnaire—were used for data collection, and SPSS software was applied for data analysis. Ethical considerations were taken into account throughout all stages of the study.

Results: The results of the study showed that the main causes of construction waste generation include workers’ lack of awareness, demolition due to poor design, low-quality materials, rework resulting from design changes, improper transportation, vandalism, and inefficient management. The most common measures for reducing construction waste are segregation and sale (limited to metals, cardboard, and plastics); retrieval of surplus tools and materials; adequate storage; and timely delivery.

Conclusion: The effectiveness and positive impact of this study depend on the level of awareness among staff and executive agents, economic considerations, the formulation of regulations and regular monitoring of projects, environmental impacts, and other related factors. These results can serve as a basis for developing guidelines and enacting regulations for construction contractors, thereby fostering changes toward improved construction waste management.