Journal of Human, Environment, and Health Promotion

106-114

Authors: Md. Juel Mahmud , Mahfuza Sharifa Sultana, Sakhawath Hossain , Sajin Sultana , Md. Mostafizur Rahman *

Background: Food security is an alarming issue to researchers. This study aimed to evaluate the trace metals in fruits and vegetables and their impact on human health in Konabari industrial area (Gazipur, Dhaka, Bangladesh) during 2016-2017. Methods: Wet acid digestion determined the concentrations of eight trace elements (aluminum, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, and zinc) in 28 samples of 10 fruits and vegetables (papaya, guava, banana, Malabar spinach, eggplant, jute tender leaves, watercress, water spinach, gourd leaves, and cauliflower) using a microwave and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. To assess the human health risk, the target hazard quotient (THQ) was calculated only for iron, manganese, and zinc in Microsoft Excel. Results: The mean concentrations of aluminum, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium manganese, sodium, and zinc were 764.2, 6664.6, 556.2, 3551.14, 4479.4, 1034, 1559.8, and 128.6 mg/kg, respectively, which decreased as Ca>Mg>K>Na>Mn>Al>Fe>Zn. Most values exceeded the total nutritional levels for these fruits and vegetables, while the estimated daily intake of the elements was acceptable. The THQ of the fruits and vegetables consumed by the adult population was <1. Conclusion: As the THQ was <1, the consumption of the samples posed no major health risks in terms of the trace elements.

121-127

Authors: Mohammad Baratchi *

Background: Healthcare systems are exposed to various occupational hazards (e.g., infectious diseases), which threaten the health and safety of the employees. This study, conducted in September 2017 aimed to outline a two-phased approach for the identification of the most important hazards accurately and rapidly and better decision-making in the next step of risk management. Methods: This two-phased study aimed to rank the most important hazards in the operating room of a hospital and identify the hazards using two methods (HAZID and ANP) consecutively. Data management was performed in the Super Decisions software. Results: In total, 44 hazards were analyzed in three categories, and five hazards (occupational stress, formaldehyde exposure, shift work, poor posture, and exposure to anesthetic gases) had the highest priority. The normalized values of the alternatives obtained from a limit super matrix were 0.33, 0.251, 0.258, 0.096, and 0.06. Occupational stress was the most weighted hazard, while formaldehyde exposure was the least weighted hazard. Conclusion: Using the two approaches of hazard identification helped us conduct new, rapid hazard identification activities and increased the accuracy of the process as well. As a result, the time-consuming risk assessment phase was focused on the most important hazards.

134-141

Authors: Hamid Reza Eshraghi1 , Rahmatollah Amir Ahmadi * 1, Mohammad Reza Naeemi1

Background: Considering the shortcomings of the government and donors’ background, public participation in the development of the healthcare system is an essential strategy in national social development. The present study aimed to evaluate the influential factors in donor participation. Methods: This applied, descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 230 donors in Iran during 2018-2019. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire, and its internal consistency was evaluated using the Cronbachchr('39')s alpha coefficient. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 26. Results: In total, 70.9% of the participants were male, and the remaining were female. Self-employment was reported in 59.2% of the participants, and the others were government employees. The most significant correlations were observed between volunteering (r = 0.776) and religious beliefs (r = 0.644) with donor participation, while the least significant correlation was between social awareness and donor participation (r = 0.121). No significant associations were denoted between education level, income status, and donor participation. Conclusion: According to the results, the most important influential factors in donor participation were volunteerism and religious beliefs. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers and decision-makers pay special attention to the importance of donor activities in the healthcare system.

147-152

Authors: Mahdieh Momayyezi1 , Hossein Fallahzadeh * 1, Masoud Mirzaei1

Background: Sleep disorders adversely affect human health. The present study aimed to compare the sleep patterns of menopausal and non-menopausal women. Methods: This case-control study was based on the data of the first phase of Shahedieh cohort study in Yazd, Iran during 2015-2016. The case group included menopausal women (n = 1,709), and the control group included non-menopausal women (n = 3,121). The study variables were assessed by the questions regarding the menopause status and sleep. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 20. Results: The sleep duration of the menopausal and non-menopausal women was 7.1 ± 1.3 and 7.4 ± 1.3 hours, respectively (P = 0.001). Most of the menopausal women reported the restless legs syndrome during sleep, naps during the day without specific activity, and using sleeping pills more than twice weekly. After adjusting the effect of the other variables, the possibility of the sleep duration of less than six hours or more than eight hours in the menopausal women was 13 times higher than the non-menopausal women, while the correlation was not considered significant (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 0.98-1.29; P = 0.07). Conclusion: The prevalence of sleep disorders (e.g., sleep latency, restless legs syndrome, naps during the day, use of sleeping pills) was higher in the menopausal women.