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  Background and purposes: Because of huge growth of snack food industry in the last few years the nation’s eating habits are undergoing major transformation with a replacement of traditional main meals by more frequent snacking. Dietary changes have been notable in children and particularly students so they are the major consumers of these foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the snack and sweet drinks consumption at school times and its relationship with first molar cavities level in a group of students .

  Methods: The study was carried out in a group of 400, 8-12 year-old boy students in Area 5 Tabriz school. Data were collected through simple examination and questionnaire completed by a interveiwer. Findings were analyzed with descriptive statistic methods and chi-square Test .

  Results: The findings showed that nearly all the students (91%) had one or more snack or sweet drinks at school time. Biscuits, dried berries and raisins and packed fruit juice were the most popular. First molar cavities as expressed in DMFT increased significantly with high intake of snacks.

  Conclusion: Snack and sweet drinks consumption is high among Tabriz students, and first molar cavities level is increased with high snacks intakes.

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Background & Objective: As life expectancy increases health promotion behaviours are even more important, particularly with regard to maintaining functional independence and improving quality of life (QoL). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship
between health promotion behaviours and quality of life among elderly people in west region of Tehran.
Methods: This was a descriptive-correlational study. Through multi-stage sampling method, 410 participants over 60 years old and cognitively intact were selected to contribute in the study. The data-gathering tool consisted of a 2-part questionnaire Health Promotion Behaviour Checklist and Short Form Health Survey (SF12) that were used to measure QoL.
Results: The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences in QoL of the elderly related to 'exercise or walking and consumption of milk, dairy products, meat, vegetables and fruits and 'low salt diet', 'low fat diet', 'health check up', 'blood pressure (BP) (p< 0.05). The Elderly with high quality of life had more exercise or walking and consumption of milk, dairy products, meat, and fresh fruit and vegetables and the elderly with low quality of life, had better observed low salt diet, low fat diet, health condition control and blood pressure control.
Conclusion: Regarding the results we found that health promotion behaviours and the quality of life are related meaningfully, so, considering old people as a vulnerable group by health authorities, it is recommended to provide this group with programs and facilities to promote their health behaviours, social participation and to improve health care and provide consultation services.

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Background & Objective: Iodine deficiency is one of the most important life-threatening factors from the beginning and encounter irreversible damage to human. This study aimed to investigate stability of Iodine in iodized salt in different situations such as light and humidity and comparing it with standard amounts.
Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, 12 samples of iodized salts which have been distributed in Damghan, were accidentally selected. Samples were examined in the chemistry laboratory of Faculty of Health (Damghan University of Medical Sciences) using titration method recommended by British pharmacopeh. 10 mg of each iodized salts were kept at presence of light, darkness, humidity, and non- humidity situation and then titration method was performed. The samples were kept for two weeks and examined weekly. Data were analyzed with T paired and ANOVA tests using SPSS software.
Results: Findings of this study showed that reduction of Iodine was seen for all samples. The amount of reduction were 2.2, 1.5, 4.1 and 2.1 mg/l for purified salts at light, darkness, humidity, and non- humidity situation, respectively. The amount of reduction were 3.4, 2.1, 5.35 and 2.6 mg/l for non-purified salts at light, darkness, humidity, and non- humidity situation, respectively. In spite of reduction in Iodine, concentration of it was at standard amount (30-50 PPM).
Conclusion: Results showed that stability of iodine was more when salt was exposed to darkness in comparison with light situation (p< 0.09). Meanwhile, the stability of purified salts was more than the non- purified salts (p< 0.28). Also, stability of iodine was less at humidity in comparison with non- humid situation (p< 0.006). The purified salts which was exposed to humidity was much stable compared to the non- purified salts (p< 0.28). It also, demonstrated that the amount of iodine stability was more for salts which was exposed to light in comparison with humidity (p< 0.05).

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Background & Objectives: Since the students majoring in different Fields of medicine are going to play key roles regarding Community health in the future, it seams necessary to characterize problems threatening their mental health. This study was performed in order to evaluate students’ mental health status in Ardabil University of Medical Sciences
Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 352 students were selected through census and were requested to fill out general health questionnaire (GHQ) with 28 questions as well as personal information questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi- square.
Results: The findings indicate that students have problems in physical (1.7%), and social function (4.3%), anxiety and insomnia (2.3%) of them suffer from severe depression (2%). Also according to cut point (23) 22.7% students were suspected of mental disorders. In this research, there was no significant difference in mental disorders between male and female students, but there was a meaningful relationship between status with paternal educational degree and family size and mother's job (p< 0.05).
Conclusion: according to the findings, student's psychological evaluation and counseling service in different fields to promote student mental health, is recommended

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Background & Objectives: Mental Health is a phenomenon which has been considered by psychologists, medical doctors and religious scholars and it is a combination of physical, social and cognitive factors. Due to the effectiveness of teaching coping skills in increasing mental health, this study was done to achieve the effect of teaching coping skills in providing mental health in students of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences.       

Methods: Due to the nature and aims of the study, the study method was experimental research method. The samples of the present study comprised all male and female students (n=112) at Ardabil University of medical Sciences in 2006-2007 and gained 23 or more in GHQ-28 questionnaire (which evaluates four subscales of anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and disorder of social functioning). At the next stage the samples (i.e. 80 female and male students) were selected randomly and divided in to two groups. Then, coping skills were taught to the experimental group for 4 weeks (two sessions in a week) and no variable was exposed to the control group during this period. At the end, the data from 62 (Dropt=18 case) individuals were analyzed by independent t test.   

Results: the results showed that teaching coping skills affects on decreasing mental disorders symptoms especially somatization of symptoms and anxiety of students suspected to the mental disorder (R< 0.001). But the teaching coping skills do not affect on decreasing depression and disorder of social functioning of students.

Conclusion: This study showed that teaching coping skills is a good method in decreasing mental disorders symptoms among the students suspected to the mental disorder. Therefore it is suggested that in order to prevent and decrease mental disorders symptoms, the coping skills should be taught to students.

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  Background & Objectives: R eligion and its guidelines have important role on the mental health of people. Many studies show that moral and religious beliefs and behaviors lead to mental relaxation and pleasant living. Religious person shall try to be more helpful and successful in all fields of cultural, social, political and economic life. The aim of this article is to elucidate the role of mental health in the Holy Quran.

  Methods: This study was performed by the library field based on the results of the existing related researches and reliable sources.

    Results : If the human psyche is not understood, he could not achieve his perfection and maturity. It is because of lack of knowledge about the mental and spirit damages. How we can understand self and psyche and which information source is the best to refer?

  From the viewpoint of Quran, the first way to deal with psychological stress is back to human nature which is the base of mental relaxation. Avoid of human nature could lead to moral disorders. Therefore in Islam, regarding human nature is considered to improving mental health.  

  Conclusion: According to our discussion, one of the best and most reliable ways for maintaining and improving mental health includes spiritual beliefs and using concept of God in Holy Quran.

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  Background & Objective: Advances in public health and control of infectious diseases have led to increased number of elderly people in the world including Iran. Thus serious concerns exist in terms of age-related diseases . Consequently, Iran’s ministry of health has chosen “ageing and health” as the theme for 2012 along with WHO. Psychological disorders�are among the most prevalent diseases in elderly people. Recent studies suggest a two-way relationship between some psychological disorders and insomnia. Also there is evidence implying magnesium role in improvement of aforementioned disorders. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary magnesium supplementation on mental health in insomniac elderly subjects.

  Methods: A double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 46 insomniac elderly subjects randomly allocated into the magnesium or the placebo group, receiving daily for 8 weeks either 500 mg magnesium or a placebo, respectively. SCL-90-R and ISI questionnaires were conducted at baseline and at the end of the intervention period. Serum magnesium and cortisol levels were also determined in the patients. In addition, information was obtained on anthropometric confounding factors and daily intake of magnesium, calcium, potassium and caffeine using 24-hr dietary recall questionnaire for 3 days. The N4 and SPSS19 were used for data analysis.

  Results: No significant differences were observed in assessed variables between the two groups at baseline. As compared to the placebo group, in the experimental group, dietary magnesium supplementation brought about statistically significant decreases in GSI, PST, PSDI, ISI scores as well as somatization , anxiety, psychoticism , and depression symptoms and serum cortisol concentration. While the obsessive-compulsive , interpersonal sensitivity, hostility , phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation scores and serum magnesium concentration were not different between the experimental and the placebo groups.

  Conclusion: In this study dietary magnesium supplementation resulted in improvements in insomnia severity index and some indices of mental health.

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  Background and Objectives : The risk of coronary artery disease increases with increasing of blood pressureboth in hypertensive and normotensive persons on the other hand nutritional factors have asignificant effect on blood pressure. The purpose of this study was to assess theeffect of caffeine on blood pressure in sedentary healthy male during resistance exercise.

  Methods: In single-blind crossover study , twenty healthy and non-athlete male in the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili randomly selected and stratified according to age and BMI into twogroups: caffeine and placebo. The subjects performed repetitions to exhaustion at 60% of 1RM for any motion of chest press, leg press, squat and lat pulldown, 1 hour after taking caffeine (6 mg/kg body weight) or Placebo (similar dosage of starch). Blood pressure (BP) was measured before and 1 hour after taking caffeine and also immediately after any exercise. Data analysis was conducted using independent and paired t-test.

  Results : Results indicated that systolic and diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure significantly elevated following caffeine intake at rest, but no significant differences were observed after exercise.

  Conclusion: These findings indicate that caffeine at this dosage level alters cardiovascular dynamics by augmenting arterial blood pressure in moderately non-athletes male at rest. However, it seems that taking caffeine before resistance exercise does not cause abnormal elevations in blood pressure in sedentary healthy male.

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  Background & objectives: The “redox” state represents the oxidation/reduction potential within the cell in a way that more “redox” is the marker of health, while the more oxidized reflects predisposition to diseases. Different types of exercise training may change the thiol/disulfide ratio of redox couples such as glutathione and represent a shift in redox balance. This study was assessed the influence of high-intensity aerobic exercise on glutathione redox state in red blood cells in professional, recreational athletes and nonathletes.

  Methods: Ten voluntary well trained (WT), moderately trained (MT) and untrained men subjectswere randomly selected for this semi-experimental study (mean ages of 21.10±1.72 21.70±1.88 and 20.10±1.44, respectively). Blood samples were collected before, immediately, 10 min and 30 min after acute aerobic exercise with 75%VO2max. The levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and (GSH/GSSG) in red blood cells (RBCs) as well as serum levels of cortisol and creatine kinase (CK) were measured.

  Results: The results showed reduction, elevation and no changes in RBCs GSH/GSSG ratio in UT, MT and WT groups, respectively. The lowest levels of GSH/GSSG ratio in RBCs and the highest one were detected in the WT and MT groups, respectively. The serum levels of cortisol and creatine kinase were increased following the exercise in three groups.

  Conclusion: It is concluded that acute aerobic exercise with high intensity does not change redox balance in well trained subjects, however it is capable to shift redox balance towards more reducing environment in moderately trained subjects and also to more oxidizing one in untrained subjects.

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Background & objectives: Type II diabetes is a metabolic disorder accompanied with insulin resistance of the whole body cells and is considered be the fifth cause of death in the world. Adaptation to altitude can lead to tolerance to many diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of simulated intermittent altitude on the metabolic and hematologic parameters and liver function in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Methods: In the current experimental study, twenty four male Wistar rats weighing 220±20 gr were randomly divided into three groups; normal control group (NC, n=8), diabetic control group (D, n=8) received fat diet for 2 weeks then were injected with streptozotocin (37 mg/kg) and diabetic+hypoxia group (D+H, n=8) including diabetic rat exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia (PiO2≈106 mm Hg, simulated altitude≈3400 m, 14% oxygen for 8 weeks). Diabetic, hematologic and lipid parameters as well as ALT and AST activities were measured in peripheral blood.

Results: Our findings showed that intermittent hypoxia significantly decreased serum total cholesterol, LDL ,VLDL and triglyceride in D+H group compared to D group (p<0.05). Serum levels of fasting blood glucose and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance )HOMA-IR( index and ALT were decreased in D+H group vs. D group )p<0.05). Also, hemoglubin and hematocrite level increased in D+H group in comparison to D group )p<0.05). No significant difference was detected in red blood cell count in D+H vs. D group.

Conclusion: Based on resultant data, it seems that intermittent exposure to hypoxia (simulated to chronic and intermittent lodgement in altitude) can be used to control of type 2 diabetes by increasing hemoglobin, decreasing insulin resistance and improving liver function as well as lipid parameters.

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Background & objectives: Construction of new service centers including hospitals is expensive and requires optimal site selection for these centers so that all citizens benefit from its increased productivity. It can also help them lower their costs. This study investigates the optimal locations for construction of hospitals in Ardabil using GIS software.

Methods: This is an applied research which incorporates a descriptive-analytic methodology. The data is made up of 11 criteria; proximity to densely populated areas, proximity to green space, closeness to main thoroughfares, proximity to fire departments and distance from existing hospitals, industrial centers, slopes, learning centers, cemetery, military bases and from sport facilities. They were all weighted using analytic network process (ANP) model.

Results: After performing the necessary calculations and evaluations, the highest and lowest weight of criteria belonged to the proximity to densely populated areas (0.229) and distance from the cemetery (0.033), respectively. According to the criteria weights and overlapping of layers, the most and least favorable locations for the establishment of hospitals were identified.

Conclusion: Results of the classification showed the best location for construction of hospitals in Ardabil city based on four municipal regions. In region one it belongs to the 8^th, 5^th, 2^nd, and 11^th districts in region two districts of 6 and 7 which cover southeastern edge of the city, in region 3 districts of 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 and 10 which contain the western part of the city, and in region four it belongs to districts of 1, 2, 6, 7, 10 and 11 that encompass the blocks in the northern and north-western route of the city. These regions can be used for construction of new hospitals in order to improve people’s access to healthcare services.

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Background & aims: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of NEO personality dimensions on general health, quality of life and job burnout in a sample of faculty members of Iran University of Medical Sciences.

Methods: In this correlational study, data were collected by convenience sampling using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), WHO Quality of Life- Brief (WHOQOL-FFI), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and NEO-FFI. In order to analyze the data, statistical indices, including mean, standard deviation and Pearson correlation coefficient were used. 

Results: The results showed a significant correlation between  personality dimensions, including  neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness and agreement with any public health variables (correlation coefficients 0.435, 0.533, 334.513, 0.0) and quality of life (correlation coefficients 0.294, 0.438, 312.459, 0.0) and burnout (correlation coefficients 0.259, 0.351,       -0.302, -0.299, 0.0) , respectively in the Department of Surgery, but openness to experience had  no significant correlation with any of the above-mentioned variables. Also, there was a significant relationship between the three variables of public health, quality of life with burnout.

Conclusions: According to the findings, it can be concluded that in the participants of this study, increase of neuroticism scores was associated with decreased general health and quality of life scores and increased job burnout. Further, increased extroversion scores were associated with increase in general health and quality of life and decrease in job burnout scores.

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Background & objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver is one of the most common diseases. Nutrition and exercise are recommended for the patients with this disease, and chicory is considered due to its protective effects on the liver. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of chicory extract along with treadmill walking on the hepatic transaminases levels and tissue changes in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Methods: In this experimental study, 56 mature male rats were divided into control (without treatment), sham (treatment with high-fat diet 10 ml/kg) and 5 experimental groups receiving high-fat diet (10 ml/kg) with 200 and 100 mg/kg chicory extract alone and with treadmill walking. Chicory was administered as gavage in 28 consecutive days. At the end, after anesthetizing the animals and collecting blood from their hearts the Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymes were measured. The their livers were removed and after preparing the tissue sections, the results of hepatic enzymes measurements were analyzed by ANOVA and Duncan tests and P≤0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The results showed that high-fat diet increased AST, ALT and ALP enzymes and hepatic tissue damage compared to the control group at p<0.001. Treatment with chicory and treadmill walking alone and together resulted in a significant reduction of the above enzymes at p<0.001 and improvement of hepatic tissue compared to the high-fat diet group.
Conclusion: The results showed that high-fat diet increased the levels of ALT, AST and ALP, and hepatic tissue damage. Treadmill walking and chicory extract alone and together reduced the above enzymes and improved the hepatic tissue structure.

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Background & objectives: There is a direct relationship between the presence of beneficial microbiota in the gut, development immune system functions and maintenance homeostasis. Hence, the consumption of foods or supplements with postbiotic components has been characterized as one of the most important strategies to modify the microbiome balance and improve the health status of the host. In this study, the concept of postbiotics and their clinical role in host health has been reviewed.
Methods: All articles related to the study subject were searched in the Scopus, PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar database and studies that examined the effects of postbiotics on diseases were included.
Results: According to available evidences, postbiotics do not need the viability in comparison with their parent cells and they exert health effects like live probiotic cells. Also, their preparation and application in various delivery system is affordable, which this highlights the importance of postbiotics from technological, clinical and economic aspects. These compounds have biological activities including immunomodulation, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-proliferation, and they can play an important role in modulating the immune system's performance, improving therapies and reducing their possible side-effects in some cases of gastrointestinal disorders and chronic diseases.
Conclusion: The postbiotics as a novel strategy can be used in a wide range of pharmaceutical products for the preventive therapy and improvement of the current therapeutic methods, as well as in food products to delay corruption, increase shelf life, and promote functional foods.
 

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Background & objectives: This research has been carried out in order to optimize technology development policies and reduce the costs of health technology development centers in universities of medical sciences. Identifying the influential factors in the growth of technology units helps the growth centers to more efficiently use the growth of knowledge-based companies and the development and progress of innovative entrepreneurs as a host environment for technology growth.
Methods: The current study is a qualitative research that was conducted by extracting qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with 31 managers of growth centers and managers of units located in growth centers and experts in the field of health entrepreneurship. It has been coded and categorized in three stages and the main and subcategories have been identified.
Results: The results show that for the growth of technology units in health technology growth centers, two basic variables of the growth center program and infrastructure have an effect on the efficiency of the centers and the growth of the units. This is despite the fact that according to the regional capacities of Type 3 medical sciences universities in the country, growth program factors have introduced more categories and less focus has been placed on infrastructure, so the growth plan is good. It can have a bigger share.
Conclusion: This research shows what categories are expected from the growth plan and infrastructures of health technology growth centers in few universities.
 

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Background & objectives: One of the main effective factors in combating gastric cancer is having good health literacy in the community. The aim of this study was to determine the health literacy of gastric cancer in clients and patients admitted to Imam Khomeini Medical Center in Ardabil.
Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study. The sample of this study consisted of clients and patients admitted to Imam Khomeini educational -medical center in Ardabil in the second half of 2019. The sample size was 320 people which were randomly sampled. Researcher-made tools were used after ensuring validity and reliability. The questionnaire had two parts: demographic characteristics and items of health literacy dimensions. Patients' informed consent was obtained before completing the questionnaire. Data were collected by nurses and entered into SPSS-26 software. By using descriptive and analytical statistical parameters such as frequency and frequency percentage, mean and standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA analyzed.
Results: The mean and standard deviation of the age of participants was 42.98±14.35. The overall level of health literacy about stomach cancer was calculated as 31.13. The average gastric cancer health literacy in five dimensions in the clients and patients of Imam Khomeini educational-medical center in Ardabil was calculated as follows: access to health information resources was 38.02±10.6, reading health information was 13.47±4.41, understanding health information was 30.37±6.9, evaluation of health information was 16.73±4.58 and decision-making and application of health information was 58.49±10.77. Apart from reading in other dimensions of health literacy, no significant difference was found between clients and inpatients.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the mean score of health literacy of clients and patients admitted to Imam Khomeini medical center in Ardabil from gastric cancer is low and not sufficient. Considering the role of health literacy in energy storage, cost and time management of the individual's disease, it is necessary to plan and perform more efficient interventions to promote health literacy in the community, especially clients and patients admitted to Ardabil educational medical centers on gastric cancer.

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Background & objective: The present research has investigated the impact of mental health on the behavioral inhibition and professional judgment of certified accountants with an emphasis on conflict theory.
Methods: In this descriptive-survey research, using Morgan's table, 306 official accountants working in the audit organization and audit institutes of Tehran in 1400, were selected as a sample by a simple random method. To collect data, standard questionnaires including Goldberg and Hiller's mental health, Goldstone and Parker's behavioral inhibition, Knapp, Gul et al.'s professional judgment, and Vahabzadeh's conflict were used. Structural equation model and SMART PLS3 software were used for data analysis.
Results: The research results indicate that the mental health of certified accountants has a negative effect on the conflict between them and the employer and a positive effect on behavioral inhibition and professional judgment of certified accountants. Their behavioral inhibition has a positive effect on professional judgment and a negative effect on the conflict between them and the managers of the receiving companies. Behavioral inhibition and professional judgment of certified accountants play a mediating role in influencing mental health on the conflict between them and the employer. Also, the professional judgment of certified accountants has a mediating role in influencing behavioral inhibition on the conflict between them and business owners.
Conclusion: According to the obtained results, people with higher mental health and stronger behavioral inhibition ability can make more professional judgments and reduce conflicts with others by using their abilities and mental health and managing their behavior. Resolving conflicts will be more successful.
 

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