Journal of School of Public Health and

---

Background and Aim: Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI), as a criterion for assessing plants' resistance to air pollution, is one of the important tools for managing air quality around industrial complex buildings. The aim of this study was to determine air quality and the APTI of native plants grown around the Industrial Complex of Glass, Khak-e-chini, Tile and Ceramics and Glass in Ardakan, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study. First, the concentration of air pollutants in the industrial area was assessed. Then, APTI was determined as follows: measuring the pH of leaf extracts, relative water content, total chlorophyll and ascorbic acid contents of leaves in samples of native plant leaves. In addition, the concentrations of lead, chromium and cadmium were measured in plants by atomic absorption using the dry digestion method. For statistical analysis of the data the SPSS software version 22 was used.
Results: The mean plant concentrations of Co, O₃, NO₂, SO₂ and PM₁₀ in the industrial are were 2.06 ppm, 7.75 ppm, 3.28 ppm, 33.94 ppb and 70.55 µg/m³, respectively; these concentrations were all below the respective standards, as were those of lead, cadmium and chromium. The tolerance index of plants around the Industrial Complex was measured in the floor/parts sensitive to air pollution, proportional to low air quality pollutant and heavy metal concentrations in plants. Among the rangeland, tree and shrubs species, the following had the highest air pollution tolerance index, respectively:  Boiss.fortuynia (8.49), Punica granatum (16.80) and Albizia lebbeck (9.37).
Conclusion: Based on the Air Pollution Tolerance Index it is suggested that the nonproductive species Punica granatum be used as a more tolerant species and Artemisia species as a biomarker for the expansion of green space.

---

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..
 

---

Background and Aim: Hospital social workers as a group of discharge planners perform effective interventions for the safe discharge of patients. The purpose of this research was to investigate the interventions of medical social workers in safe discharge of patients.
Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted in 2023 in Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a sample of 16 social workers working in public hospitals selected by purposeful, accessible and snowball sampling and analyzed using the thematic analysis method.
Results: The findings of this research show that hospital social workers implement specialized interventions within a framework of six planning stages with the aim of safe patient discharge. The three main themes are: professional intelligence, supportive framework and sustainability of interventions; the main theme of the current research is safe discharge.
Conclusion: The findings of this research indicate that the interventions of social workers for the safe discharge of the patients include measures before, during and after the discharge of a patient, based on the principles, values, intelligence, professional skills and the social work process. Social workers in this field need the support of responsible officials in the health system.
 

---

Background and Purpose: The development of the rural areas relies heavily on addressing health issues and ensuring access to healthcare for the villagers. The primary objective of this research is to explore the perceptions and experiences related to access to health services among the residents of the Falard county in Lordegan, Iran.
Material and Methods: This study employed a qualitative research method utilizing grounded theory. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, achieving saturation with a sample of 20 participants. The manuscript data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding methods, ultimately leading to the development of a grounded theory.
Results: The findings showed that the understanding and experience of the villagers is based on the change in the pattern of diseases and the need for specialized and super-specialized services, and in this context, a kind of comparison is made with the urban dwellers. The participants face obstacles to receive the mentioned services, while the actions of the rural health house centers are not up to their expectations. The three main categories which explored are: incomplete access and coverage, feelings of inequality, and marginalization. The central theme of this research is encapsulated in the concept of an intensified perception of inequality in access to health services.
Conclusion: The development of rural villages relies heavily on addressing health issues and ensuring access to related services. Despite the significant efforts made by governments over the past four decades to improve rural health, access to these services remains a critical concern. The changing patterns of diseases, the aging population of villagers, and the growing sense of relative deprivation and inequality in accessing health services are the most pressing challenges that health policymakers must prioritize.
 

---

Background and Aim: Health advocacy is a learnable skill and professional attribute acquired through the process of professional socialization, in which health professionals, particularly physicians, play an active role in supporting patients’ rights. The aim of this study was to explore the professional socialization of pediatricians in advocating for children’s health.
Materials and Methods: This qualitative and exploratory study presents finding derived for the first time within the context of Iranian medical education, through the conceptualization of narrative data obtained from semi-structured interviews. Participants included 19 pediatricians and pediatric residents from medical universities in Iran’s Sixth Health Education Region, centered at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. The sample size and data volume were determined by the criterion of data saturation, and participant recruitment followed purposive linear and exponential snowball sampling. Coding and conceptualization were conducted through an inductive–deductive thematic analysis using MAXQDA 20 software. The credibility and dependability of the findings were ensured through analytical comparison by the researcher and peer review.
Results: A total of three main themes, twenty subthemes, and 199 basic themes were identified, showing that pediatricians are socialized at micro, meso, and macro levels for child health advocacy. The main themes were: the active physician (micro-level or individual socialization within the doctor–child communication context), the advocate institution (meso-level or organizational socialization within the doctor–staff–organization context), and the structuring of the defending physician (macro-level or collective socialization within the doctor–structures–society context), all reflecting how pediatricians become socialized as child health advocates.
Conclusion: By strengthening the positive aspects and addressing the negative factors of professional socialization, the socialization of pediatricians as child health advocates can be enhanced at the micro, meso, and macro levels.