Journal of Health Research in Community

1-15

Authors: Samaneh Dehghan , Yousef Dadban Shahamat * , Fariba Ziarati

Introduction and purpose: Today, chlorine and its compounds are the most popular elements employed for disinfecting water and wastewater due to their flexibility, cost-efficiency, and ease of use. This research aimed to optimally produce active chlorine by the electrochlorination method using titanium and platinum/titanium electrodes. Methods: This experimental study was conducted in a batch flow of an electro-chlorination cell. The experimental design was performed using the Box Behnken method with a sample size of 34 experiments. The production of active chlorine was evaluated and compared on various operating factors, including current density (10-60 A/dm2), sodium chloride concentration (50-250 g/L), reaction time (5-120 min), and two types of anode electrodes of titanium and platinum/titanium and 316 cathode steel. Results: The results showed all four operating parameters had a significant effect on the active chlorine production and the highest effectiveness was related to electrolysis time, followed by current density, sodium chloride concentration, and anode electrode in descending order. The optimal operating conditions provided by the model for chlorine production included the electrolysis time of 120 min, current density of 60 A/dm2, concentration of sodium chloride of 187 g/L, and type of platinum/titanium anode electrode and 316 cathode steel electrode, which resulted in active chlorine of 65.95 g/L. Conclusion: This method can be used as an effective method to produce chlorine to disinfect water and wastewater in treatment plants, and if replaced with gas chlorination systems, the safety problems of chlorine gas capsules will be solved.

27-38

Authors: Hossein Masoumbeigi , Foad Gholami , Seid ali Yahyapor , Ghader Ghanizafeh

Introduction and purpose: Nitrate is one of the most important pollutants in surface and groundwater. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of different parameters on the performance of the electrical coagulation process in the removal of nitrate from contaminated water. Methods: This study was conducted based on an experimental design and the statistical community was urban water. A cylindrical batch reactor with aluminum and zinc electrodes (monopolar arrangement) was used to remove 100 mg/L nitrates. The experiments were performed three times in direct and alternating currents using standard methods. Factors of pH, contact time, and weight of electrodes were evaluated, and the results were reported in tables and graphs. Results: Nitrate removal efficiency (87.4%) was higher in direct current, as compared to that in alternating current (39.1%). The highest nitrate removal efficiency of 87.4% was obtained in direct current, in comparison with 61% for alternating current. As the contact time increased, the pH of the solution increased in two currents, from 7 to 11.21 and 8.47, respectively. Total dissolved solids (TDS) at optimal conditions in alternating and direct current were 79 and 126 mg/L, respectively. After 30 min of settling, the produced sludge was measured as 17.66 and 280 mL/L in direct and alternating current, respectively. The weight of the anode electrode had the greatest decrease in direct current. Conclusion: The results of this study pointed out that the process of electrical coagulation could reduce the concentration of nitrate to less than the standard. Nitrate removal with the direct current was performed with less energy consumption and cost than alternating current. As a result, the use of optimal conditions increases the process efficiency in the electrochemical removal of nitrate.

50-59

Authors: Parisa Khoraminejad , Javad Khalatbari * , Mohammad Reza Seyrafi

Introduction and purpose: Gestational diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic complication during pregnancy that affects 10-15% of all pregnancies depending on the diagnostic criteria. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on the quality of life of mothers with gestational diabetes. Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted based on a pretest-posttest design with a control group and follow-up. The statistical population of the study included all pregnant women referring to Milad Hospital in Tehran, Iran, in 2019, diagnosed with gestational diabetes. The samples (n=30) were selected using a purposeful sampling method (considering inclusion and exclusion criteria) and then randomly assigned to two groups of compassion-focused therapy and control (n=15 each). The experimental group received self-compassion training, while no intervention was administered to the control group. Both groups were followed up for 3 months. The research tool was the quality of life of the World Health Organization. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS.22 software using a repeated measure test. Results: The results showed that compassion-focused therapy had a significant effect on improving the quality of life (P<0.01) of women with gestational diabetes. Moreover, the effect of compassion-focused therapy remained constant until the follow-up phase. Conclusion: It can be concluded that compassion-focused therapy had an effect on improving the quality of life of mothers with gestational diabetes, and this method can be used to reduce the problems of such mothers.

69-80

Authors: Arash Farvahari , Saber Amirzadeh Googhari , Vadidreza Borhaninejad * , Ali Bahramnejad , Mozhgan Negarestani

Introduction and purpose: With the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent changes, such as the closure of high-risk jobs, creation of emergency levels of public health, and home quarantine, the mental health of people, was severely affected. In this regard, the present study aimed to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 in Kerman. The study sample consisted of 500 cases who were selected via the available sampling method. Due to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, data was collected through online questionnaires shared on WhatsApp and Telegram (including the general population living in different parts of Kerman. To assess mental health, the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used, the validity and reliability of which have been confirmed in various studies (Cronbach's alpha of 0.8). Factors affecting mental health status included demographic information (including age, gender, education, occupation, marital status, and income) and questions about media use status. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (Version 23) using independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression. Results: The mean age of the subjects was reported as 34.94 years, and 58.6% of the subjects did not have good mental health status. Moreover, 88.8 % of participants followed COVID-19 news through social media. The results of one-way ANOVA indicated that mental health scores were different in different groups of age, education, occupation, and income (P<0.05). Furthermore, in logistic regression analysis, the factors affecting mental health, education, and life satisfaction were significant, indicating a better mental health chance in people with higher-level education and higher life satisfaction (P<0.05). Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems. Therefore, it is suggested to develop mental health support programs and psychological interventions.

93-109

Authors: Erfan Pourshahri , Meisam Dastani , Matineh Khoshkhoo , Amirhosein Sharghi , Saeed Yaghoubi , Leila Sadeghmoghadam *

Introduction and purpose: The identification of barriers and concerns regarding the acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccine is of paramount importance. Accordingly, this systematic review was conducted to determine the factors affecting the acceptance and non-acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccine. Methods: This systematic review was performed in accordance with the principles of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The data were retrieved from PubMed, WOS, and Scopus in May 2021. The inclusion criteria entailed: 1- All original articles published on the reasons for acceptance or non-acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccine and 2- English language articles. On the other hand, the exclusion criteria were as follows: 1- Overlap of some articles in several databases, 2- The non-original articles, such as review articles or letters to editors, 3- unrelatedness to the objectives of the study, and 4- Lack of access to the full text of the articles. Results: The query yielded a total of 442 articles. After removing duplicates, as well as screening and qualitative evaluation of articles, 75 articles were finally selected for review in this study. Based on the obtained results, gender in individual factors, trust in governments, hospitals in social factors, and concerns about vaccine side effects among vaccine-related factors played the most important roles in accepting and rejecting the vaccination. Conclusion: Removing barriers to vaccination based on individual, social, and vaccine factors, as well as informing people about its benefits should be a priority for health organizations and institutions. Consequently, education and information campaigns on vaccination outcomes should be established at the community level to address individual and social concerns, as well as vaccine-related concerns.