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

Social determinants of health, including literacy, income, employment, food security, and living conditions, play a major role in shaping health and health inequalities. Despite the growing body of research and academic activities on these determinants in Iran, a substantial gap remains between understanding social determinants and acting to change them. Drawing on observations from a field experience in a deprived area of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, this editorial argues that improving health cannot rely solely on healthcare services or health education; it also requires interventions that address the social and environmental conditions in which people live. The experience of a local charity working on literacy, reading, vocational skills, and employment opportunities illustrates how social determinants of health can be translated into practical community action. Universities and research centers on social determinants of health should therefore move beyond identifying and describing these.

Background and Aims: Schools have traditionally been important settings for health interventions. As understanding of the role of schools in promoting health has changed, school health has gradually moved from traditional approaches toward more comprehensive and health-focused models. This article reviews the development of school health worldwide and describes the main approaches that have emerged in recent decades.

Materials and Methods: This brief report was based on a review of relevant national and international literature, documents, and reports. The development of school health, major World Health Organization (WHO) programs, and current health-focused approaches in school settings were reviewed and discussed. Ethical principles were observed throughout the study.

Results: The reviewed literature shows that the concept of school health has undergone several stages of development. In the 1950s, schools were primarily considered settings for delivering health interventions. Over time, they came to be viewed as educational environments, social organizations, and, more recently, complex adaptive social systems. This change in perspective has influenced the structure, objectives, and implementation of school health programs worldwide.

Conclusion: Reviewing the development of school health helps clarify the foundations of current approaches in this field. With the reintroduction of the undergraduate School Health program in Iran, consideration of international experiences may support the further development of education, research, and planning in school health.

Background and Aims: The release of antibiotics into the environment through hospital wastewater and pharmaceutical effluents has become one of the major environmental and public health concerns. Cefazolin, a widely used first-generation cephalosporin antibiotic, has been frequently detected in wastewater treatment plant effluents and may contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance and environmental hazards. The present study aimed to investigate and compare the performance of the peroxone (O₃/H₂O₂) and advanced photo-oxidation (UV/O₃/H₂O₂) processes for the removal of cefazolin from aqueous solutions.

Materials and Methods: This experimental laboratory-scale study was conducted in 2025. To evaluate the performance of the O₃/H₂O₂ and UV/O₃/H₂O₂ processes in removing cefazolin from aqueous solutions, the effects of operational parameters, including initial cefazolin concentration (1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 mg/L), solution pH (3, 7, and 9), ozone contact time (5 and 10 min), and UV irradiation time (15 and 25 min), were investigated. The residual concentration of cefazolin was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After determining the optimum operating conditions, the removal efficiencies of the two processes were compared.

Results: The results demonstrated that under the optimum operating conditions, the UV/O₃/H₂O₂ process achieved a cefazolin removal efficiency of 98.8% at an initial concentration of 1 mg/L, an ozone contact time of 10 min, and a UV irradiation time of 25 min. In contrast, the O₃/H₂O₂ process exhibited a relatively lower removal efficiency under the same conditions. Furthermore, the removal efficiency of both processes was significantly influenced by solution pH, initial cefazolin concentration, ozone contact time, and UV irradiation time, with the highest removal efficiency obtained at pH 9.

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the UV/O₃/H₂O₂ process is more effective than the O₃/H₂O₂ process for the removal of cefazolin from aqueous media. Therefore, UV-based advanced oxidation processes can be considered an efficient and promising approach for the removal of persistent antibiotics and the improvement of wastewater treatment performance for antibiotic-contaminated effluents.

Background and Aims: Shift work and irregular working hours may affect nurses’ physical and psychological health, as well as their professional performance, thereby influencing the quality of patient care. This study aimed to determine the physical and psychological problems associated with shift work among nurses employed at educational and therapeutic centers in Golestan Province, Iran, in 2023.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in selected teaching hospitals in Gorgan, Iran. A total of 256 nurses were recruited using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Survey of Shift Workers questionnaire. The data were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests, chi-square tests, and Fisher’s exact tests in SPSS software, version 26. Ethical principles were observed throughout the study.

Results: Of the participants, 62.5% were women, and the remainder were men. The mean age was 31.19 ± 6.7 years, and the mean work experience was 7.12 ± 5.7 years. Half of the nurses reported a heavy workload during evening shifts and a very heavy workload during night shifts. The most frequently reported problems were psychological symptoms (94.5%), gastrointestinal problems (87.9%), musculoskeletal problems (86.3%), impaired concentration (70.3%), sleep disturbances (66.8%), and cardiovascular problems (42.2%).

Conclusion: Shift work is associated with an increased occurrence of physical and psychological problems among nurses. To mitigate these adverse effects, nursing management should prioritize the development of regular shift-rotation schedules, adequate rest intervals, and continuous monitoring of staff health. The findings suggest that shift work may contribute to physical and psychological complications among nurses.

Background and Aims: The decline in fertility rate below replacement level in Iran, particularly in urban areas such as Zanjan, has created numerous demographic challenges. This study was conducted with the aim of explaining parents' experiences regarding tendency toward childbearing and identifying facilitating and inhibiting factors of childbearing within the framework of the Value of Children (VOC) theory, in order to clarify the dimensions of costs and benefits of childbearing in a traditional-urban society.

Materials and Methods: This study was qualitative research using qualitative content analysis approach, conducted in Zanjan Province during 1404 (2025). Sampling was purposeful and included 27 parents or couples (15 women and 12 men) referred to hospital, fertility and health centers in Zanjan city, aged 20 to 50 years. Data collection was through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data analysis was performed manually using axial coding, with emphasis on traceability of the analysis process.  Ethical principles were observed throughout the study.

Results: Data analysis through axial coding identified two main themes: facilitating factors (including family experiences and intimate relationships, family and social support, positive attitudes and beliefs, educational learning, and positive media influence) and inhibiting factors (including physical and medical challenges, economic and social pressures, emotional and educational pressures, negative attitudes, and occupational conflicts). The main theme of this study was extracted as the experience of childbearing at the intersection of individual, cultural, and economic challenges of parents, which aligns with the benefits and costs dimensions of the Value of Children theory.

Conclusion: The tendency toward childbearing in the studied society is influenced by the conflict between cultural values, structural-economic and emotional pressures, and benefits and costs. The findings emphasize the importance of developing effective supportive policies focusing on economic facilities, enhancing parenting literacy, and psychological-social supports in similar urban communities like Zanjan.

Background and Aims: The aim of the present study was to predict somatic complaints in patients with type 2 diabetes based on cognitive-behavioral avoidance and emotional processing.

Materials and Methods: The research method was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of this study consisted of all patients with type 2 diabetes visiting hospitals, clinics, centers, and specialized diabetes offices in Hamadan city during 2024-2023. The sample size was determined to be 120 individuals based on the recommendation of Tabachnick and Fidell (2007) and using the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using the Takata and Sakata (2004) somatic complaints questionnaire, the Sexton and Dugas (2008) cognitive-behavioral avoidance questionnaire, and the Baker et al. (2010) emotional processing questionnaire.

Results: The results of data analysis indicated that somatic complaints in patients with type 2 diabetes could not be predicted based on cognitive-behavioral avoidance and emotional processing. Additionally, there was a significant negative correlation between cognitive-behavioral avoidance (r = -0.215), worry suppression (r = -0.201), avoidance of threatening stimuli (r = -0.210), and somatic complaints. Finally, there was no relationship between emotional processing and somatic complaints in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion: Cognitive-behavioral avoidance and emotional processing did not significantly predict psychosomatic complaints in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, some cognitive-behavioral avoidance components were negatively associated with psychosomatic complaints, highlighting the potential influence of multiple physical, psychological, and social factors. Future studies are recommended to simultaneously examine physical, psychological, and social factors.

Background and Aims: Gasoline storage tanks are among the major potential sources of fire and explosion incidents in oil facilities. This study aimed to assess the risks and consequences of fire and explosion incidents involving gasoline storage tanks and to analyze the associated domino effects at an oil facility in Tehran Province, Iran.

Materials and Methods: Leakage scenarios involving 20-mm and 150-mm openings, as well as catastrophic tank rupture, were defined. Consequence modeling was performed using PHAST software, while quantitative individual and societal risk assessments were conducted using SAFETI software. Probit model was used to analyze domino effects. All ethical requirements were observed, and the necessary approvals were obtained.

Results: PHAST modeling showed that, under the catastrophic rupture scenario, thermal radiation intensity reached 37.5 kW/m² and explosion overpressure reached 17 bar at a distance of 23 m from the explosion center. This overpressure represented the maximum value at the nearest evaluated distance and decreased rapidly with increasing distance, reaching 2 bar and 0.07 bar at 34 m and 120 m, respectively. The thermal radiation impact radius extended to 487 m, while the explosion overpressure extended to 363 m. The safe distances for the 20-mm leak, 150-mm leak, and catastrophic rupture scenarios were estimated at 72, 384, and 487 m, respectively. Societal risk analysis indicated that the risk was within the acceptable region for 1–6 fatalities and within the tolerable region for 7–10 fatalities. Domino-effect calculations indicated a 100% probability of failure for tanks located closest to the accident source when exposed to thermal radiation of 37.5 kW/m² for 2.5 min and an explosion overpressure of 17 bar at a distance of 23 m.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that effective risk management of gasoline storage tanks requires leakage prevention and control, limitation of fire propagation, and implementation of emergency response scenarios.

Background and Aims: Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases affecting climate change, and landfills are among its primary emission sources. Accurate estimation of methane emissions is a key step in effective waste management, mitigating climate impacts, and planning for energy recovery. This study aimed to estimate and compare methane emissions and energy production potential from the Zanjan municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill using the IPCC Waste and LandGEM models from 1997 to 2034.

Materials and Methods: Demographic data, waste generation and disposal rates, physical composition, and landfill management conditions were collected. These data, along with model-specific parameters and coefficients—including DOC, DOCF, MCF, F, L0, k, and OX—were utilized to simulate methane emissions based on IPCC guidelines and LandGEM documentation. Finally, the potential for electrical energy production derived from the estimated methane gas was calculated. Ethical considerations were strictly observed throughout this research.

Results: Results indicated an increasing trend in methane emissions for both models; however, LandGEM estimates were significantly higher. Annual methane emissions increased from 0.114 to 3.204 Gg/year in the IPCC Waste model and from 0.377 to 11.306 Gg/year in the LandGEM model, with the highest levels observed in the final years. The annual electrical energy production potential in the final year was estimated at 57.7 GWh/year for the LandGEM model and 15.27 GWh/year for the IPCC Waste model.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the capability of both IPCC Waste and LandGEM models in predicting emission trends, although LandGEM predicted higher values. The Zanjan landfill possesses a favorable capacity for energy recovery and greenhouse gas mitigation. Given the modeling-based nature of this research, validation of these results using field measurement data is recommended for future studies.