Journal of School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research

The Current Situation and Future Prospects of the Food Safety and Hygiene Field in Terms of Occupational Positions and the Needs of the Society

Gholamreza Jahed Khaniki

Background and Aim: Considering the needs of the society food safety and hygiene graduates can be employed in positions related to their field of study and provide services to solve the food safety and hygiene ‎problems at the community level. The aim of this research was to explain the current situation and future prospects of the food safety and hygiene field in terms of occupational positions and the needs of the society.
Materials and Methods: A descriptive and applied study was conducted with the time series analysis method regarding the current situation and the future perspective of the ‎ food safety and hygiene field ‎in terms of occupational positions and the society's need. A valid and reliable questionnaire was developed and used for data collection. In order to predict the future of the field, the time series statistical analysis method (Autoregressive integrated moving average =ARIMA) was used. In addition, its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were identified and analysed using the SWOT qualitative content analysis.
Results: Analysis of the data obtained showed that the number of food safety and hygiene graduates has an increasing trend. The proportions of the graduates in relevant occupations, in non-relevant occupations and out of job were 48.00%, 24.75% and 27.25%, respectively. The data also revealed that this field of study had good strengths, so attempts should be made to increases them, reducing the weaknesses and threats, using the available and potential opportunities.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study the numbers of individuals accepted and graduated in the field of food safety and hygiene have an increasing trend, which are expected to continue in the next ten years. On the whole, the current moderate situation and the future perspective of the food safety and hygiene field in terms of the occupational positions and the society's need can be relatively favourable. In any case it is essential to make serious attempts continuously to maintain and promote this field of study.

Assessing the Risk of COVID-19 in Selected Occupational Groups of Hospitals in Saghez, Iran Using the Rapid Risk Analysis Technique

Elham Ehsani-chimeh

Background and Aim: Assessment of disease risk with the ultimatevaim of implementing preventive strategies in the workplace is a necessity. This study was conducted to assess the risk of COVID-19 in hospital occupational groups in Saghez city, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 among three hospital occupational groups (total sample size = 300) in Saghez city, Iran, including physicians and nurses, as well as laboratory, administrative, financial, radiology and general service personnel, using the COVID-19 rapid risk analysis technique. Data were collected using a valid questionnaire based on the Likert scale and analysed (to determine acceptable, tolerable and intolerable risks) using the descriptive and inferential methods, the software used being SPSS-26.
Results: As regards the probability variable, the highest probability of occurrence of COVID-19 was related to the general service and administrative-financial occupational groups with an average of 1.6 and 1.5, respectively. The level of attitude was generally good and excellent. The analysis of the severity of the outcome variable was at a critical level in the physicians group (42.5) and at a catastrophic level in the other groups. In total, all occupations were rated at an unacceptable risk level (H), the general service and administrative-financial occupational groups being at a higher risk than other groups. There were statistically significant differences between the types of occupation on the one hand and the variables studied, as well as the individual characteristics and COVID-19 morbidity on the other hand.
Conclusion: Considering the high risk of occurrence of COVID-19 among the hospital professionals it is essential to develop and implement plans aiming at preventing and reducing the disease risk in them.

Prevalence and Distribution of Common Rotavirus Genotypes in Iran and Comparing them with Vaccine Strains Before the Start of the National Vaccination Program

Zabihollah Shoja

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Prevalence and Distribution of Common Rotavirus Genotypes in Iran and Comparing them with Vaccine Strains Before the Start of the National Vaccination Program

Somayeh Jalilvan¹, Atefeh Kachooei², Tayebeh Latifi³, Mahdieh Motamedi‐Rad⁴, Mohammad Farahmand³, Nasir Mohajel⁵, Zabihollah Shoja^6*
1- Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Ph.D. Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3- Ph.D. Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4- MSc. Department of Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
5- Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
6- Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
* Corresponding author: zabihollahshoja@gmail.com, zshoja@alumnus.tums.ac.ir
Received: May 25, 2023 Accepted: Oct 11, 2023

ABSTRACT
Background and Aim: Since the discovery of rotaviruses in 1973, these viruses have been identified as one of the most important and common causes of diarrhea in infants and children all over the world. Before the introduction of rotavirus vaccination, this virus led to the death of more than 500,000 children in the world annually, which mainly occurs in developing countries. With the introduction of Rotarix and RotaTeq vaccines as well as ROTAVAC and ROTASIIL in the world, the death rate has decreased by 50%. Iran, like many countries, is in the period before rotavirus vaccination, and considering putting the rotavirus vaccine in the vaccination program is one of the priorities of the country's health system. Therefore, knowing the genotypes circulating in Iran in the past and recent years and their comparison with vaccine strains is very important. Our aim in the current study is to review the prevalence of rotavirus and its genotypes circulating in Iran and whether the existing vaccines based on the circulating strains in Iran can be effective.
Materials and Methods: Studies regard to the prevalence and genotypes of rotavirus in Iran were reviewed.
Results: G1P[8] genotype includes more than 50% of circulating genotypes. Non-G1P[8] genotypes, including G4P[8], G3P[8] and G9P[8], have also had a high frequency in some studies. In addition, in a recent study, it has been shown that the rare and uncommon genotype G9P[4] has been introduced as a common genotype.
Conclusion: Studies in Iran have shown that the country may face a change in the rotavirus genotype pattern in the future. This study can provide useful information to recommend appropriate policies for rotavirus vaccination before the start of the national vaccination program and may even change policies for the use of existing vaccines.

Investigating the Status of Type-2 Diabetes Prevention and Control in the Population of Buin Zahra City, Iran Based on the Goals and Strategies of the National Program

Soheila Keshavarz

Background and Aim: Despite all the current diabetes prevention programs, only a limited number of patients are identified and receive care.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study including individuals over 30 years old in Buin Zahra city, Iran selected using the multi-stage sampling method (sample size = 1154). Data were collected using a questionnaire for the general public and the health team, the validity and reliability of which had been determined based on the CVR and CVI indexes and the correlation coefficient, respectively.
Results: The average age of the sample and the prevalence of diabetes were 48.42 ± 14.45 years and 9.9%, respectively. Further analysis of the data showed the following:
1. the prevalence of diabetes in at-risk people: women with a history of abortion and large children, 12.8% and 31.7%, respectively; gestational diabetes 36.5%;
2. obesity during pregnancy: 19.7%; a family history of diabetes: 22.4%;
3. waist circumference>90 cm: 14.08%, BMI>25: 13.95%; and
4. triglyceride<200: 22%, hypertension: 32.97%.
Further analysis of the data showed statistically significant associations between diabetes and blood sugar level above 100 mg/dl (OR = 2.73), waist circumference >90 cm (OR = 3.02) and gestational diabetes (OR =12.22); no other significant associations were found.
Only 55% of the health team personnel had received diabetes prevention training.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that patient care and education are not of a proper quality. The considerable prevalence of diabetes among people at risk shows that more follow-up and care are needed for them. The training of health team personnel should be very efficient and the number of trainings related to the diabetes program should increase.

Criticism and Evaluation of Social Health Contents of the Primary Health Care Prepared in the Office of Mental, Social and Addiction Health of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education

Hamed Moslehi

Background and Aim: Social health is one of the most basic criteria of social well-being and an effective factor in improving the quality of life of any society. .In Iran, the Office of Mental Health, Social Health and Addiction (OMSHA) is responsible for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating social health programs. The purpose of this research was to criticize and assess the contents of the social health component of the primary health care (PHC) system in an attempt to revise the contents.
Materials and Methods: The method used in this study was the deconstruction method. The research environment was all the contents of the social health component provided by OMSHA, and in order to obtain precise data the entire statistical population was taken as the study sample.
Results: In general, data analysis indicated the following: inappropriate screening, cultural adaptation, unidimensionality, role and responsibility adaptation, the preference of treatment to prevention, updating, comprehensiveness and adequacy of basic contents, and comprehensiveness and adequacy of practical suggestions.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that revision of the contents of the social health component of the Office of Mental health, Social Health and Addiction is a necessity in order to improve the delivery of mental health services..

Typology of Strategies for Taking Care of Risky Behaviors Based on the Family Socio-Economic Status

Hossein Aghajani Marsa

Background and Aim: Tobacco use, narcotics, drug abuse, consumption of alcohol, having unsafe sexual relations and other such behaviours are risky behaviors that tend to cause great concerns in families. Parents try to cope with high-risk behaviors through care strategies. The purpose of this research was to determine the typology of strategies for taking care of risky behaviors based on to the family socioeconomic status (SES).
Materials and Methods: This was a quantitative descriptive-correlational research including all the urban families of Tabriz, Iran, from among whom a sample of 384 families was selected by the multi-stage cluster method. Two measurement tools (checklist for high-risk behavior care strategies and a family SES questionnaire) were used to gather data, the one-way analysis of variance (F) test and linear regression being used to determine the relationships between the variables.
Results: The means of strategies for taking care of risky behaviors were significantly different based on the SES of the family, the upper classes adopting a more appropriate (procedural) strategy to take care of children against risky behaviors than the lower classes. Conclusion: Families with a medium and low SES use ineffective care strategies (inefficient and momentary) to cope with risky behaviors. In order to improve the public's health, it is necessary to adopt prevention-based cultural-educational policies to transform ineffective care strategies to procedural strategies.

Strategic Intelligence and Cybernetic Management Based on Technological Education from the Point of View of Educational Managers of Higher Education Centers in Kermanshah Province

Maryam Islampanah

Background and Aim: Technological education is considered a new model in the development of education, especially higher education, to promote cybernetic management and strategic intelligence of training managers, and can help the organizations to implement programs well. The purpose of this research was to develop a structural model of technological education for development of strategic intelligence and cybernetic management in managers of higher education centers in Kermanshah Province, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This study was a quantitative-qualitative research. In the qualitative section, saturation was achieved by 15 interviews, and in quantitative section 281 questionnaires were completed and returned to the researcher. The measurement tools used in the qualitative part were semi-structured questionnaires, based on which two researcher-made questionnaires were extracted, while in the quantitative part, theMcCobe's strategic intelligence questionnaire (2007) and researcher-made technological education and cybernetic management questionnaires were used. Data were analyzed by SPSS24 and Amos software.
Results: The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated appropriateness of the measurement models obtained from constructed questionnaires. The structural equational model showed that technological education has a significant positive effect on cybernetic management and strategic intelligence.
Conclusion: Development of strategic intelligence in higher education centers leads to more interactions between managers and the faculty members and personnel, as well as constructive relationships between faculty members and students. Furthermore, strategic intelligence is a proactive approach that can be beneficial in all sections of higher education centers. Considering the relationships between the variables studied, it is suggested that the aforementioned results be used to reduce the challenges in the programs and activities of educational managers of education centers.

Zoning of Leaf Chlorophyll Content of Tree Species (A Case study in Malayer City, Iran): An Indicator to Investigate Air Pollution in Urban Environments

Eisa Solgi

Background and Aim: Air pollution is currently one of the most important environmental issues. The most common effect of air pollution on plants is the gradual decomposition of chlorophyll and leaf yellowing, which may result in the reduction of photosynthetic capacity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of air pollution on the chlorophyll content and zonation of leaf chlorophyll content of two tree species in Malayer city, Iran.
Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from two tree species, namely, Platanus orientalis and Robinia pseudoacacia in different parts of Malayer city, Iran (clean and polluted areas), each with three replications. The concentration of pigments in the leaves was measured by the Lichtenthaler (1987) method, which is the modified Arnon method (1949), at 663 and 645 nm wavelengths, absorbance being measured using a spectrophotometer.
Results: Data analysis showed that the a, b and total chlorophyll contents in the acacia tree species in the southern parts (southwest) of the study area reached their maximums, while their contents were lowest in the eastern and north-western parts and low to medium in the central parts of the study area. On the other hand, as regards the sycamore species, in the eastern and north-western parts of the study area the a, b, and total chlorophyll contents were the highest and reached their minimums in the south-western parts. However, as in the case of the acacia species, in the central parts of the study area the contents of the tree chlorophylls were low to medium.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that the a, b and total leaf chlorophyll contents of the two acacia and plantain species were higher in the polluted areas as compared to those in clean areas. On this basis, it can be said that a higher physiological index, such as an increased chlorophyll content, indicates the plant's response for resistance to air pollutants.