Journal of Health Research in Community

14-22

Authors: Mehdi Safdari , Mojtaba Jafarvand , Zeynab Pakseresht Keshavarz

Introduction and purpose: The sick building syndrome is a collection of neurological, stimulatory, respiratory, dermal, and sensory signs, which is caused by the physical and mental conditions of the working environment. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the frequency of the signs of sick building syndrome among the staff working at one of the educational and therapeutic centers in Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at one of tertiary centers of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in the summer of 2017. The population of the study consisted of a staff of 161 working at different sections, including emergency ward, follow-up services, operating room, cardiac care unit, intensive care unit. The standard questionnaire of MM040EA on sick building syndrome and indoor air quality was used to collect data. The results of the study were analyzed by employing the Chi-square and ANOVA tests (SPSS software, version 18) after the participants completed the questionnaires. Results: The results showed that some of the symptoms of the syndrome, including dry skin (60.87%), headache (52.17%), fatigue (49.03%), and dizziness (45.34%), were more prevalent than other symptoms. The findings also revealed that the prevalence of the sick building syndrome does not significantly correlate with sex and occupational position. However, the frequency of the syndrome correlated significantly with the age (P=0.025), unpleasant odor (P=0.04), high temperature (P=0.033), and dry weather (P=0.032). Conclusion: According to the results of the current study, skin dryness and headache were the most common symptoms of the sick building syndrome among the staff. Therefore, the evaluation of air conditioning systems, ambient air humidity control, per capita increase in work space, and the use of sound insulation are beneficial ways to reduce the symptoms of sick building syndrome.

33-38

Authors: Mohamad Fahiminia , Akbar Eskandari

Introduction and purpose: Noise pollution is an important health problem in most industries, especially in the small inland industries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the noise pollution in turning and polishing shops in Qom, Iran, and compare it with the sound standards in the country. Methods: In the present descriptive cross-sectional study, noise assessment was performed using the local measurements to evaluate occupational exposure with a dosimeter (CEL 320, Casella CEL, Inc., New York) in 20 turning shops and 20 polishing shops. Then, the equivalent sound balance was calculated for a work shift and compared with the sound standards In Iran. Results: The results showed that the average equivalent sound levels in turning and polishing shops were 93.1 and 100.4 dB, which were unauthorized in comparison with the national sound standards. Furthermore, the noise pollution outside the shops was reported beyond the standards of the relevant region. It should be noted that regarding the evaluation of hearing sensitivity, 86.1% of the workers did not have a hearing test. In addition, sanitary inspections were not carried out in 83% of the shops. However, 64% of the shops were not upgraded and the participation rate of the shop owners was 53% in the improvement measures.Conclusion: According to noise pollution in turning and polishing shops and the effects on workers and the public, noise control methods are proposed, such as the provision of personal protective equipment, reduction of labor time, correct choice of machines, and installation of noise-reduction tools. With respect to noise pollution, the correct locating of shops and organizing noisy industries were proposed.

47-56

Authors: Jamshid Bahmei , Fatemeh Moghimi zare , Razihe Bahrami , Masoomeh Asadi

Introduction and purpose: Spiritual intelligence is obtained from a set of spiritual abilities and interests, personality traits, special cognitive abilities, and neurological processes. Emotional intelligence is a revolutionary development in understanding the relationship between intellection and emotion. This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence in undergraduate nursing students of Abadan School of Medical Sciences.Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted on a total of 125 subjects. The sampling technique was simple random sampling. The data were collected utilizing the Bar-On emotional intelligence and King spiritual intelligence questionnaires. The validity and reliability of both questionnaires were approved. Eventually, the data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and regression tests by SPSS 16.Results: There was a positive and significant relationship between emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence among students (P<0/05). Moreover, there was a significant correlation between interpersonal scales, adaptation, and temperament with spiritual intelligence (P<0/05). However, there was no meaningful relation between intrapersonal scales and stress management with spiritual intelligence (P>0/05). It should be noted that all the components of emotional intelligence were able to predict spiritual intelligence.Conclusion: Through the enhancement of emotional intelligence in students, spiritual intelligence can be strengthened and improve the spiritual atmosphere and positive attitudes of students. Therefore, the educational staff of Abadan School of Medical Sciences can help students with providing necessary trainings regarding the increase of spiritual and emotional intelligence.

68-77

Authors: Nasibeh Hosseini-Vasoukolaei , Fatemeh Jafari Ms

Introduction and purpose: Leishmaniasis are neglected diseases that are endemic in more than half of the provinces of Iran. The causative agent of this disease is Leishmania protozoa and its transmission to human is through the bites of phlebotomine sand flies. This study reviews the growth and development of Leishmania in the body of sand flies at the molecular level. Methods: In this study a narrative review was carried out. The corpus was collected by searching the keywords of Leishmania, sand fly, phlebotomus, lutzomyia in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, SID, Web of Science, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar search engine. The studied articles were those which has been published on the interaction between the sand fly vectors and Leishmania parasite until 2018. Results: The parasites grow when they encounter natural barriers in the body of the sand flies, including proteolytic enzymes, peritrophic membrane, excretion of the digestive system, and immune system in sand fly vectors. Attachment of Leishmania to sand fly digestive tract determines the ability of sand fly to support the development of parasite, which leads to the transmission of leishmaniasis.Conclusion: Studies on the development and life cycle of Leishmania within the body of sand flies are of utmost importance due to the spread of leishmaniasis in Iran and the world, difficulty in their control, and lack of effective vaccine products against leishmaniasis. The findings of the current study aimed at identifying and enhancing the natural barriers to the development of Leishmania in sand fly vectors and introducing new strategies for the control of leishmaniasis.