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Background: The large-scale spread of COVID-19 affected communities with many deaths worldwide causing significant concerns. Due to being on the front line of fighting against this disease, a great number of healthcare providers lost their lives. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore the changes in nurses’ behavior and practice while taking care of COVID-19 patients.Methods: The present study was conducted using a qualitative conventional content analysis approach in 2020-2021. The participants were 14 nurses taking care of COVID-19 patients in the infectious diseases wards of a teaching hospital affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences. The data were collected through interviews with the nurses, and data collection continued until data saturation. The collected data were analyzed based on the steps proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. After recording and transcribing the interviews, the participants’ statements were categorized into semantic units. Data analysis was performed using MAXQDA-10 software.Results: The majority of nurses reported significant behavioral changes that were categorized into five main themes including intensification of protective measures and increase in concentration, emergence of mental and psychological symptoms, increase in the sense of responsibility towards the family, recourse to prayer and religious rituals, and increased empathy with patients.Conclusion: The most important behavioral changes of nurses as a result of the COVID-19 crisis were the intensification of personal protective measures, the emergence of mental and emotional symptoms, the increase in the sense of responsibility towards the family, resorting to prayer and religious rituals, and increased empathy with patients. Providing material and spiritual incentives as well as support to personnel to increase their motivation and work productivity should be taken into consideration by officials during epidemics. Moreover, actions such as providing free psychological counseling are suggested to calm the personnel.

Background: Human papillomavirus virus (HPV) plays an important role in some human malignancies, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, it is necessary to evaluate the role of carcinogenic agents in local settings as well. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the frequency of HPV genotypes in head and neck epithelial cancers.Methods: In this case-control study, 202 patients with suspected carcinoma referred to Shafa Hospital (Kerman, Iran, 2017) for pathological evaluation were enrolled. A definitive diagnosis of carcinoma was reported for 101 patients (case group) and in the other 101 subjects, carcinoma was not diagnosed. In order to determine the presence and type of HPV in tissue samples, the PCR method was used. Data analysis was performed using Fisher’s exact test, independent t-test, and logistic regression. Results: In total, 27 head and neck SCC samples (26.7%) were positive for HPV DNA. In addition, the virus species were HPV-11 in 15 cases (14.9%), HPV-16 and HPV-18 in 12 cases (11.9%), and HPV-6 in 10 cases (9.9%). According to the results, the presence of HPV was significantly higher in patients with SCC (P < 0.001). Moreover, smoking (P = 0.03) and opioid use (P < 0.001) were also significantly associated with SCC.Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrated the presence of HPV in tissue samples of head and neck SCC patients in Kerman, Iran. Further studies are needed to investigate the preventive role of HPV vaccination in head and neck SCC.

Background: The reuse of treated municipal wastewater is an important source of water for different purposes. This study evaluated the efficiency of the electrocoagulation process in removing turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrate, and phosphate from wastewater at the treatment facility in Karaj, Iran. Methods: This experimental study was performed at a pilot scale and in a batch system. A 4-liter tank made from safety glass with 4 plate electrodes made from aluminum was unipolarly connected to a direct current power supply with a parallel arrangement. Wastewater samples were taken from the influent at the Karaj wastewater treatment facility. Rates of turbidity, TSS, COD, nitrate, and phosphate removal under different conditions were determined. Results: The highest efficiency of COD, TSS, nitrate, turbidity, and phosphate elimination was achieved at a voltage of 30 volts and a reaction time of 30 minutes. The rates were 88.43%, 87.39%, 100%, 80.52%, and 82.69%, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, electrocoagulation is an appropriate method for use in removing nitrate, phosphate, COD, turbidity, and TSS from wastewater.

Background & Objectives: Since late diagnosis of diabetes or missing it during pregnancy can leave severe maternal and fetal complications, and on the other hand information on the prevalence and risk factors of diabetes in pregnancy in Iran is limited, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of gestational diabetes in Shahdad/ Kerman/ Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was performed on 160 post partum women who had prenatal care files in health care center of Shahdad city from 2014 to2015. Subjects were selected through census sampling and their information was extracted from their files. Data were analyzed through SPSS version 16 and using t-test, chi-square, Fisher's exact test and logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the studied women was 12.5 percent. Gestational diabetes showed significant relationships with history of stillbirth (P=0.04), family history of diabetes (P

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of mortality and disability in the world. Many risk factors are involved in cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, high cholesterol, overweight and obesity, smoking, diabetes, inadequate physical activity, unhealthy diet. The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiovascular diseases risk factors and the relationship between knowledge level and preventive behaviors for cardiovascular diseases among women in Kerman. Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 400 women in Kerman. Participants were selected using multistage cluster sampling method. Data were collected using demographic questionnaire and a questionnaire about cardiovascular disease risk factors, knowledge, nutritional behavior, and physical activity. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation, Spearman, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test by SPSS 21. Results: The average age of women was 42.11±1.40 years. Daily stress (71.75%) and inadequate physical activity (62.75%) were the most common risk factors among the participants. There was a significant positive relationship between knowledge and nutritional behavior (P

Introduction:The first step in any educational programs is determining the educational needs of the target group. Providing adequate information to couples helps them to start their marital life based on a correct basis. The aim of this study was to determine the pre-marriage educational needs of couples who are about to get marry. Methods:This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was performed on 250 couples attending in Pre-marriage counseling classes. Available sampling was used in this study. Data were collected by a questionnaire including demographic variables and 47 questions in 7 areas including family planning, congenital diseases, common cancers in men and women, sexual relationships, relationship with spouse and family, and Islamic and legal issues. Data were analyzed using analytical statistics Chi-square, t-test, ANOVA, and correlation coefficientthrough SPSS 21. Results:The results show a significant relationshipbetween the need for training and education in women and men (P

Evaluating EQ in Opium Addicts Visiting the Rehabilitation Centers of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences Ranjbar Totoei Aliasghar1, Khanjani Narges2*, Mirzabeigi MohammadReza3 Received: 19. 10. 2015 Revised: 16. 01. 2016 Accepted: 19. 02. 2016 1. MPH Student, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. 2. Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. 3. Assistant Professor of Psychology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran. *Correspondence: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Tel: 034-31325102 Email: n_khanjani@kmu.ac.ir Abstract: Introduction: EQ is one of the determinants of human reaction to life events. In this study, the EQ of addicts visiting the rehabilitation centers of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2013 was evaluated. Method: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on 122 addicts and 119 healthy people as controls. Addict subjects were chosen from the addicts visiting six rehabilitation centers of Rafsanjan Medical University. Participants were evaluated by BAR-ON questionnaire including 90 questions in four sub-categories of problem solving, emotional self- awareness, inter personal relationship and responsibility. Independent t-test and ANOVA wereused for analysis through SPSS19. Results: The two groups of addicts and controls showed significant differencein regard to EQ and the sub-categories of emotional self-awareness, interpersonal relationships and responsibility (P

Background & Objective: Determination of priorities and suitable educational methods enable the optimal use of the limited resources available Due to the effective role of family physicians in health promotion and the necessity of educational planning according to needs assessment this study aimed to assess the educational requirements of rural family physicians working in Kerman University of Medical Sciences Iran Methods: This crosssectional analyticaldescriptive study was conducted on 102 rural family physicians in 2014 Census method was applied for sampling Data were collected using a twopart researchermade questionnaire The validity of the questionnaire was approved by professors To determine the reliability of the research tool testretest method and Cronbachs alpha (096) were applied Statistical tests were used to analyze the data using SPSS software Results: The most required educational needs were circumcision biopsy of the skin and mucosa pulling nails speckle removal and surgical excision of skin verruca Continuing Medical Education was reported as the leading effective educational method There was significant relationship between educational requirements and total years of work experience and years of work experience as family physician However there was no significant relationship between educational requirements and physicians gender age place of education and educational interval gap Conclusion: To enhance knowledge and skills of family physicians in addition to revision of physicians educational curriculum educational planning based on needs assessment is required Thus it is suggested that the Health Care and Continuing Medical Education Office in Kerman University of Medical Sciences take the results of this study into consideration in order to promote the efficacy of the educational programs

Introduction: One of the ways for addiction control and damage reductionis methadone treatment. However, the factors related to treatment failure have not been fully studied. In this study the characteristics related to treatment failure in Rafsanjan city has been studied. Method: This descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was done based on records of patients visiting two rehabilitation centers in Rafsanjan in 2011-2013. The records were evaluated in two groups of patients. The first group (291 patients) were people with treatment failure, and the second group (309 people) were those successfully treated. Data analysis was done usingt-test, chi-square, and logistic regression through SPSS 22 software. Results: The mean age of participants was 37±10.5 years. The two groups were significantly different in regard to kind of substance use (P =­0.001), existence of mental illness (P = 0.011), treatment center (P­

Introduction: Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease which is nowadays known as a public health problem. Physical activity to maintain healthy bones is an important factor in preventing osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to determine a model for predicting factors influencing physical activity among women for the prevention of osteoporosis according to the Precede Model in Kerman, Iran. Method: This cross-sectional analytical descriptive study was performed on 120 women referred to health centers of Kerman city during 2014. They were selected randomly through multi- stages sampling method. Data were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and a self-administrated questionnaire according to constructs of the PRECEDE Model (Predisposing Reinforcing, and Enabling Factors) andanalyzed by descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency, dispersion, frequency and percent) and analysis statistics (logistic regression, Pearson correlation) using SPSS software version 18. Results: The results showed thatthe mean age of the participants were 32.44 ± 6.97 years. 29.2% of women had intense, 5.35% moderate, and 7.66% mild physical activity. The results also indicated that enabling factors was the most predictive factors of physical activity both in raw (P=0.023, OR=1/122) and adjusted models (P=0.041, OR=1/137). Conclusion: As enabling factors were the most important predictive factor for physical activity, it is recommended that health promotion interventions be planned according to these factors to improve physical activity and prevent osteoporosis mong women. Key­words: Predicting, Physical Activity, Osteoporosis, Women, Precede Model Citation: Tabasinejad N, Ahmadi Tabatabaei S­V, Khanjani N, Mohseni M. Predicting Factors Influencing Physical Activity in Women for thePrevention of Osteoporosis According to the Precede Model. Journal of Health Based Research 2015 1(2): 155-166.

Background: Water resource management is a strategic issue in Qom city. Water scarcity is one of the most critical concerns of industrial estates. This study aimed to evaluate wastewater management in the Shokuhieh industrial park of Qom province in 2013. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study done by visiting the industrial units in person, completing questionnaires and analyzing the results. The questionnaire had 25 questions, including general information, the status of water supply, treatment and consumption, wastewater production, reuse or discharge of produced wastewater and the status of wastewater treatment and discharge of effluent. The industrial units evaluated were active with over 50 personnel and numbered 44 in total. Results: The water suppliers in the industries included network (70.5%), network and reverse osmosis (RO) (22.5%), network and tanker (2.4%) and tanker (4.6%). 63.63% of the industries had water treatment systems. 19.5% reused wastewater and 31.8% performed pretreatment before discharge of wastewater. The discharge sites of water treatment units’ effluent included the absorption well (17%), greenbelt (18%) and sewer (65%). Discharge sites of sanitary wastewater in 50% of the industries was sewer and in 50%, it was absorption well. The discharge sites of processed wastewater was reuse (2%), sewer (52%) and absorption well (46%). Discharge sites of exiting effluent from pretreatment units in the industrial park, included sewer (85.5%), transport by tanker (7.1%) and absorption well (7.1%). The type of pretreatment process in 35.7% of the industries was chemical and in 64.3%, it was septic tank. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that pre-treatment is not done in most industries and wastewater reuse is performed in few industries. The main method of wastewater disposal in industries was by discharge into the sewer and absorbent well.

Background: Infections are readily transmitted as a result of bacterial contamination of swimming pools. Therefore, hygiene and preventing the contamination of swimming pools is of particular importance. The objective of this study was to determine the amount of bacterial contamination in indoor pools of Yazd in 2013. Methods: In this descriptive and analytical study, all indoor swimming pools of Yazd (12 pools) were evaluated during the spring and summer of 2013, in terms of bacterial contamination. In order to determine contamination, a sterile cotton swab was used for sampling. On average, 45 samples were taken from different surfaces in each pool (shower, dressing room, sitting places in sauna, platforms and around the pool). In total, about 540 samples from all pools were tested for bacterial contamination. Results: The results show that from 540 samples, bacterial contamination was observed in about 93 samples (17.22%); and was seen more in showers, edges of the pool and jacuzzis, and the slippers used in swimming pools. The most important isolated bacteria types were E. coli, Actinobacteria, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia. Conclusion: The results indicate the presence of bacterial contamination on the surface of these places. It is recommended that health authorities should pay more attention to cleaning and disinfecting surfaces around the pool, showers, dressing rooms etc, to prevent infectious disease transfer as a result of contact with contaminated swimming pool surfaces.

Background & Aims: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the nervous system, the cause of which remains unknown. Its prevalence rate has been estimated at 2.5 million individuals across the globe, and 31.5 individuals per 100,000 in Kerman province, Iran. Although different studies have reported disparate results, there are many authentic reports claiming that seasonal changes affect MS prevalence in certain months. The presentstudy investigated the rate of MS seizuresin terms of differentseasons. Methods: Patients referring to the Neurology Ward of Shafa medical center, affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were examined in a 5 year period from 2007 to 2011. A specially developed form, containing demographic and background information, and results of examinations, was filled out for each and every patient. A neurology faculty member approved MS seizures or otherwise rejected irrelevant observations. Findings were analyzed through SPSS20 software. Results: In the present study, 802 attacks of MS were detected; 187 cases in men (23.32%) and 615 cases in women (76.68%). The mean age of the participants was 32.69 years. The highest rate of hospitalization occurred in winter and spring. This finding is mostly related to MS attacks in women, but in men the rate of attacks are equal in differentseasons. Conclusion: During the past 5 years, 802 acute cases of multiple were registered (187 cases (23.3%) in men and 615 cases(76.68%) in women). Most cases occurred in winter and spring, which may be due to seasonal infections or other factorstriggered by certain climatic conditionsspecific to these periods.

Background There are few quantitative documents about the seasonal incidence of tuberculosis (TB) among immigrant populations. Concerning the significant role of recognizing seasonal changes of TB in improving the TB control program, this study determines the trend and seasonal temporal changes of TB among immigrants entering Iran. Methods In this longitudinal study, data from the Iranian TB register Program (from 2005 to 2011) was used. The aggregated number of monthly and seasonal TB cases was obtained by adding the daily counts. Data was analyzed by Chi-square, Independent T-test, ANOVA, and Poisson regression using Stata 11 and SPSS 20 software. Results Among 74,155 registered patients with TB, 14.3% (10,587) were non-Iranian who had immigrated to Iran from 29 different countries. The highest aggregated number of seasonal and monthly incidence of TB in immigrants was observed in spring (2824, P= 0.007) and in May (1037, P< 0.001). The number of non-Iranian patients with TB increased significantly over the years (β= 0.016, P= 0.001). Conclusion This study shows that immigrants constitute a significant portion of TB patients recorded in Iran and this trend is increasing. Also, the peak incidence of this disease is the second month of the spring.

Background & Objective: Teaching professional English is one of the fields of teaching English started from the 60s and simultaneous with the worldwide acceptance of English as a scientific language among scientists and researchers In teaching Medical English understanding the expectations of students is very important however up to now no study has been conducted about this topic In this study we evaluated the expectations of medical students from learning professional English Methods: This was a crosssectional study A reliable and valid questionnaire was distributed among all of the students in the faculty of health and medical students who had the professional English course in the second semester of 2011 Descriptive statistics was performed by Mini Tab Results: 199 students volunteered to participate and complete the questionnaire out of whom 364% were males The mean age of the study samples was 223 ± 03 years 955% of the students were interested in learning Medical English The most frequent expectation was to understand medical texts and being capable of translating the texts to Persian language The most favorable class activity expected from the teacher was to write the meaning of the words on the board and explain its components Furthermore most students wanted the final exam to be in English and include workbook practices Conclusion: Medical English teachers can obtain higher satisfaction rate of students by considering the student expectations mentioned in this paper

Background: Ischemic stroke is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Various studies on the etiology of this disease are in progress. Some studies have suggested that opium abuse may is associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke. The present study aimed to analyze the frequency of opium addiction and to compare cerebrovascular ultrasound patients’ changes to non-addicts. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 97 patients with ischemic stroke. The diagnosis was confirmed by imaging and paraclinical studies. All the patients underwent cerebrovascular ultrasound in the first 4 days of symptoms onset. A questionnaire containing demographic data, opium use information [based on the 4th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria], and vascular ultrasound findings were completed for each patient and the results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Findings: In this study, 38 patients (39.18%) were addicted to opium and the remaining were non-addicts. Among the addicted patients, 31 patients were male and 7 patients were female, while 26 and 33 patients of non-addicts were male and female, respectively (P < 0.01). Among the risk factors for stroke, smoking was higher in the addicts than in non-addicts (P = 0.04). Frequency of vascular stenosis and stenosis location did not show a statistical significant difference between the addicted and non-addicted patients. Conclusion: More than one-third of the patients with stroke were addicted to opium which was higher than general population; although the pattern of stenosis in these patients was similar to the non-addicts. Keywords: Opium, Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound, Stroke