Journal of School of Public Health and

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Background and Aim: Bioaerosols are one of the most important agents that cause post operating infections in hospitals. Surgical masks are recommended for prevention of bioaerosols transmition in operating rooms. This study aimed at evaluation of submicron particle filtration efficiency of domestic and imported surgical masks.
Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study, 5 types of surgical masks that have the most utilization in operating rooms of country’s hospitals including domestic and imported surgical masks were tested. To evaluate all samples, the submicron particle filtration measurements were carried out based on ISIRI 6138 and American DOP standards. Filtration efficiency calculations and pressure drop measurements were performed and the results were analyzed using statistical tests.
Results: Results showed that particle filtration efficiency of domestic and imported masks were 56.130% (±10.7) and 31.906% (±7.062) respectively. Also, filtration efficiency in domestic masks were more than imported masks (P> 0.001). Among all samples, Arman mask had the most filtration efficiency (66.5475 % ±6.14951), where the least (27.8275 % ±4.44152) filtration efficiency (P> 0.001) belongs to Blosom. The maximum mean of pressure drop in Arman mask (35 ±2. 58 Pa) and the least mean of pressure drop in Zist filter mask (11 ±1.82 Pa) were observed. According to the effect of filtration efficiency and pressure drop on general quality of mask, the quality factor of masks were also evaluated. Results showed that Zist filter mask had the most quality factor (0.068) while Blosom had the least quality factor (0.016).
Conclusion: This research showed that domestic surgical masks have a better quality toward imported surgical masks but can not obtained quality confirmed by standards, yet. To reduce respective infections and prevalence of diseases, it is recommended using filters with suitable physical characteristics and also carrying out test of surgical masks before supplying.

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Background and Aim: The time needed to achieve a wanted pregnancy is referred to as time to pregnancy (TTP). Due to differences in lifestyles and geographical locations in different countries, factors affecting TTP may be different in various countries. This study was conducted in 2011 to determine factors affecting time to TTP in Kermanshah, Iran.
Materials and methods: In this case-control study 174 women with TTP>12 months (cases) and 587 women with TTP<=12 months (controls) were selected. The tool for collecting data was a questionnaire. The SPSS-16 software was used for data analysis, a p-value <0.05 being considered as statistically significant.
]Results: Multivariate analysis showed that factors decreasing TPP statistically significantly were women's education level (≥high school diploma OR=0.854, CI 95%=0.741-0.984), frequency of intercourse in a week (OR=0.728, CI95%=0.631-0.839), blood group A compared to O (OR=0.639, CI95%=0.405-1.01), and non-exposure to smoking (OR=0.606, CI95%=0.380-0.965). On the other hand, factors increasing TPP were a woman's irregular menstrual cycle (OR=3.701, CI95%=2.127-6.441), lack of physical activity (OR=1.920, CI95%=1.263-2.918) and a body mass index (BMI) higher than 25 (OR=2.221, CI 95%=1.489-3.312).
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, a high BMI and lack of exercise increase, while factors such as frequency of intercourse decrease the length of TTP. Couples seeking medical intervention for pregnancy often disregard factors associated with TTP. It is recommended that care-providers support these couples, promote their awareness, and give them suitable advice.

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  Background and Aim: Current traditional research methods for solving social problems were challenged due to limited participation of community . The health companion project was carried out with the aim of determining effective model of community participation for solving health problems in Boyerahmad and Dena township. .

  Materials and Methods : This study is a community based participatory research performed in Kohgiloyeh and Boyerahmad province 2005-2009.The study population was the entire rural and urban households of Boyerahmad and Dena county.The strategic committee of project including academic researchers, managers of health and health related sectors was formed and this committee selected six regions for research activities. In each region local directing group "health companion " was established with participation of stakeholders: academic researchers, local leaders, health providers and public representatives to guide all aspects of project. The members of the group empowered and enabled by attending training workshops for need assessment, priority setting, research methodology that through these activities the health problem priorities of the regions were recognized, the research area determined and intervention programs were designed and implemented according to these research area.

  Results: The most important achievement of this project is the methods of activities to reaching goals. Implementation of six participatory interventional proposal for solving health problems and needs are the other achievement. The frequency and means of health problems and their risk factors significantly reduced after the completion of intervention program in each region.

  Conclusion: Establishing and activities of health companion groups followed model of Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH) that help community to form health promotion team, collecting and organizing of data, choosing health priorities, developing a comprehensive intervention plan and evaluation .

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  Background and Aim: Urinary Incontinence (UI) as a main health problem affects on Quality of Life negatively. UI prevalence is reported between 3-57.1% in different countries. Nevertheless, there are limited studies about probable risk factors, e.g. type and number of delivery and related disorders such as anal incontinence. This study was aimed to investigate the UI risk factors and related disorders in our society.

  Materials and Methods : A cross-sectional study was conducted on 166 women with UI and 90 healthy subjects, aged 26-70(45.3±7.9) and 20-64(38.2±8.4) years respectively. After completing a designed questionnaire, assessment of vaginal tone, Pelvic Floor Muscles'(PFM) strength and endurance carried out. Independent t-test and Pearson correlation test were used to analysis the data. Values of p<0.05 were considered to be significant.

  Results: Our data showed that the mean of age, Body Mass Index (BMI) and number of deliveries in women with UI were significantly higher than that women without UI were (P<0.05).There was a significant difference regarding to the prevalence of anal incontinence and constipation between two groups (P<0.05). Reduced vaginal tone and lower strength and endurance of PFM were seen in women with UI (P<0.05).

  Conclusions: Regarding high prevalence of some pelvic floor disorders such as constipation in incontinent women, we recommend performing further epidemiologic and etiologic investigations , also emphasis on establishing multidisciplinary approach health/therapeutic centers to provide better services to these patients.

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  Background: Sexually transmitted infections are one of the most prevalent infections all over the world that impose significant morbidity on people. There are an increasing number of sexually transmitted infections in Islamic Republic of Iran during recent years. So developing and implementing programs for STIs prevention and control is considered as a health priority. While the role of gender based power in sexual relationships has in recent years been acknowledged, the understanding has largely lacked practical considerations in the STIs/HIV/AIDS prevention fields. This study aims to explore gender sensitive STIs/HIV/AIDS prevention services concepts and dimensions.

  Method : This study employed content analyzes research design. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 37 expert reproductive health managers and providers that selected purposively and then continued by snow ball method. Data collected by using semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were transcribed and typed. Data was analyzed according to content analysis.

  Results: 2 categories emerged as the result of data content analysis: 1) gender sensitive structure including employers, facilities and management dimensions 2) gender sensitive process including care and educational processes.

  Conclusion: providing gender sensitive STIs/HIV/AIDS prevention services need gender sensitive management, facilities and providers and gender sensitive care and educational design.

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  Background and Aim: Suicide by burning is one of the main health problems very common among women living in the west part of Iran. The objective of this study was to explore its causes and preventive strategies from the viewpoint of healthcare providers .

  Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews, carried out in Kermanshah. The participants were the health care personnel working in Imam Khomeini Hospital, a teaching hospital and referral center in the west part of Iran. Sampling was purposeful and continued until data saturation. Data analysis was conducted through thematic analysis.

  Results: Four themes were extracted for the causes of self-immolation including cultural context, mental health problems, self-immolation as a way to highlight the outcry, and economic problems. As regards prevention strategies, two main themes, namely, cultural changes and mental education and services, emerged.

  Conclusion: Self-immolation is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. Different factors interact, resulting in self-immolation by women in stressful situations. Comprehensive preventive strategies such as education, as well as cultural changes, can help to reduce the burden of self-immolation.

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  Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to assess exposure of workers in a metal industry to nickel and lead.

  Materials and Methods: Extraction was done using the solid-phase extraction on Chromosorb-102 resin to prepare, concentrate and purify biological samples of urine, hair and nails of workers working in metal industries. The variables influencing response (pH, loading flow rate, elution solvent, and amount of resins, elution volume, and sample volume) were examined and the procedure was optimized. The optimized procedure was, then, validated based on the “within-day” and “day-to-day” reproducibility experiments, using low, medium and high concentrations, leading to a satisfactory accuracy and precision. Finally, lead and nickel samples were taken from the workers and their concentrations determined voltammetrically.

  Results: The optimum values for the examined parameters were as follows: pH = 9, ligand concentration = 0.05%, loading flow rate = 5 ml/min, elution solvent = 2M HNO₃, amount of resins = 500 mg, elution volume = 15 ml, and sample volume up to 500 ml. A good reproducibility and repeatability was obtained for the optimized method under the existing conditions. Lead and nickel could be extracted with recoveries in the range of 94-100%. On the whole, the concentrations of nickel and lead in the workers’ biological samples were above the respective maximum permitted levels.

  Conclusion: Solid-phase extraction procedure is a fast and simple method for preconcentrating and isolating analytes from biological samples. Considering the low concentrations of the analytes and presence of confounding factors in such samples, the procedure can be very effective for their preparation. The application of the developed method indicates that trace metal ions can be effectively purified and preconcentrated from different matrices like urine, hair and nail samples to assess occupational exposures.

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  Background and Aim : Empowering women means enabling them to decide independently on the basic issues of life. The great challenge of fertility and reproductive health of women is indicative of their inability to make decisions . The third objective of the Millennium Development Goals is empowerment of women and the effect of social determinants of health in this regard has been recognized. This study was conducted to assess the relationship between structural social determinants of health and women's empowerment in reproductive health.

  Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive-correlation study including 400 women consulting the Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences health centers in Tehran, Iran. In the first stage, the health centers were selected by the simple random method, followed by quota sampling the f inal sampling was done by the convenience sampling method. The tools for data collection were demographic and socio-economic questionnaires, as well as a questionnaire to obtain data on women's empowerment in reproductive health . Data were analyzed using SPSS-17.

  

  Results: That data showed that the women’s empowerment in reproductive health was at an intermediate level. Structural social determinants of health were correlated with women’s empowerment in reproductive health the highest correlation was found to be with women’s education level (r= 0.44, P< 0.001).

  Conclusions: Women's general empowerment, as well as their empowerment and in family planning needs special attention. Structural social determinants of health are correlated with women's empowerment in reproductive health . Thus, policies should be adopted and plans executed aiming at strengthening the role of women in the family and the society .

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Background and Aim: Prostitution is one of the alarming social harms in any population with considerable challenges and concerns. Many prostitutes have been victims of unfavorable social conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine and explain the goals, service patterns, challenges and proposed solutions for the Program of Rehabilitation of Socially Harmed Women in the Iranian Welfare Organization (IWO).
Materials and Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in 2016. The participants included managers and experts of the general departments of the IWO in 31 provinces, 21 members of public mediators and stakeholder organizations, and 5 senior staff managers and senior experts of the IWO Deputy Director’s Office for Social Affairs. Data were collected using document analysis and in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions and analyzed using the content analysis method.
Results: Based on the data collected, the challenges of the program implementation were found to be as follows: non-acceptance of these women by the society, identity problems of the children borne to them (legally), poor chances of employment, sexual abuse of the women by the employers and mental disorders of the women, as well as poor intersectoral collaboration in IWO and lack of sufficient manpower. Proposed solutions for improvement of the situation included increasing financial credits, creating a national database, informing and sensitizing the people and approving some new judicial laws, as well as reforming some of the existing judicial laws.
Conclusion: Despite the services delivered in this national program, the program faces challenges at the government and public levels. In order to improve the current situation, it is essential to apply the proposed solutions, as well as review and modify the relevant processes.

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Background and Aim: The suicide is one of the threatening topics for the health general of society, and spiritual health and ego strength strength are among the factors that can be effective in reducing it. Therefore, this study aimed to the causal modeling of suicidal psychopathology based on spiritual health and ego strength.
Materials and Methods: The present study was descriptive-correlation. The statistical population included all individuals with a history of suicide registered in the site of the Payesh Center in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) in the first half of year 2022. Among them, 210 people were selected by purposive sampling and they answered the Inventory of Motivations for Suicide Attempts (May & Klonsky, 2013), Spiritual Wellbeing Scale (Paloutzian & Ellison, 1982), and Psychosocial Inventory of Ego Strength (Markstrom, 1997). Data were analyzed using path analysis of structural equation in SPSS₂₃ and Amos₂₄ softwares.
Results: The findings showed that direct effect spiritual health (negatively) on suicidal psychopathology is significant (p <0.05). Also, the results of the mediating role of ego strength showed that ego strength have a significant mediating role between spiritual health and suicidal psychopathology (p <0.05).    
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the spiritual health directly, and ego strength indirectly has been effective on the suicidal psychopathology. Therefore, it is suggested that mental health clinics pay attention to their spiritual health and ego strength in review suicidal psychopathology of individuals with a history of suicide.