Evaluation of Environmental Health Status of Saveh Confectionery Workshops in the Conditions of Corona Epidemic; بررسی وضعیت بهداشت محیط كارگاه های شیرینی پزی شهر ساوه در شرایط همه گیری كرونا



F Shahbazi FARZANE ; T Rasolevandi TAYEBEH ; H Azarpira HOSSEIN
Source: Iranian Journal of Health and Environment Published:2025

Abstract

Background and Objective: Regular assessment of confectionery workshops and comparison of their conditions with health standards can enhance the sanitary quality of products. This study aimed to evaluate the environmental health status of confectionery workshops in Saveh in 2022. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, the environmental hygiene status of all confectionery workshops in Saveh was evaluated using a researcher-designed, validated, and reliable checklist comprising 51 questions tailored for COVID-19 conditions, based on Step 2 guidelines for combating the virus. A total of 36 confectionery workshops were assessed, and responses to the questions were recorded as Yes, No, or Not Applicable. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA in SPSS software. Results: The average health compliance in Saveh’s confectionery workshops was 61% for personal hygiene, 68% for food hygiene, 60% for tool and equipment hygiene, 55% for building hygiene, and 74% for hygiene education. Significant relationships were found between areas such as building hygiene, food hygiene, and hygiene education, and workshop characteristics such as building size, sales volume, production scale, and worker age and experience (p < 0.05). However, no significant relationship was observed between the number of refrigerators and the hygiene of tools and equipment (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the overall health status of confectionery workshops in Saveh was relatively favorable. However, the building hygiene variable (55%) had the lowest level of compliance among the investigated factors, highlighting an area that requires attention. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.