Occupational Medicine

The effect of 8 weeks of personalized exercises on some health indicators and fat profile of firefighters in Isfahan city

M Ghaffari — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:11:12 +0000

Introduction: Due to the nature of their job, firefighters are at high risk of physical and mental injuries; Therefore, maintaining their physical and mental health is of particular importance. Personalized exercise training can help improve the health of firefighters and reduce the risk of injury.

Materials and Methods: This study was experimental and practical and was conducted on the firefighters of Isfahan city. Through invitation to cooperation, 70 people were randomly divided into two experimental groups (18 people) and (18 people control). Sports training was done for 8 weeks in three sessions per week. Physical fitness indicators were evaluated before and after the exercises, and blood samples were taken for evaluation before and 48 hours after the end of the intervention. Correlated T-test was used for intra-group comparisons and independent T-test was used for inter-group comparisons at a significance level of 05/0 and analyzes were performed using spss software.

Results: The results showed that these exercises can have a positive effect on the health indicators of firefighters, including aerobic capacity (p=005/0), muscle strength (p=01/0) and flexibility (p=01/0) and some fat indicators, such as decreasing triglyceride (p=005/0) and decreasing LDL (p=01/0) and increasing (p=03/0) HDL.

Conclusion: Personalized physical exercises can help improve muscle strength and flexibility and improve cardiovascular health.

Identifying and prioritizing measures to reduce the failure of the implementation of health system policies based on the technique of analyzing failure states and their effects and fuzzy TOPSIS

Abolhasani MS, Ziaadini M, Nik Bakhsh MA — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:14:30 +0000

Inroduction: policy implementation is the actions that are taken by government or private sector individuals with the aim of realizing the goals of the policy.Many experts have listed many factors in explaining the factors affecting policy implementation and the problems of policy implementation, and most of them believe that the problems of policy implementation are different with the conditions of each society. Several measures lead to the reduction of failure in the implementation of health system policies/ The purpose of this research is to identify and rank these factors.

Materials and methods: This research was applied and in terms of strategy, it was a survey. The research community consisted of 21 health managers of the country, who were selected through non-random and purposeful sampling. The tools of data collection are interviews and questionnaires, and the FMEA technique and the combined approach of AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS were used to analyze the data.

Results: The results of the research showed that the experts have a total of 10 dimensions in the spectrum of failure reduction measures, including cultural factors, communication, structure, implementation method, management, support, manpower.policy implementers, society, policy formulation and environment and 50 components. They proposed important measures effective in reducing the failure of the implementation of health system policies.

Conclusion: What was stated in this research as the measures to reduce the failure in the implementation of these policies will help the managers and actors of the health system policy field to prevent the occurrence of problems in the path of successful implementation of the health system policies by knowing the factors that reduce the failure of the implementation of the health system policies. get healthy.

The moderating role of perceived social support in relationship between workplace violence with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among nurses in Karbala

Kamel AA, Mehdad A, Abdulkadhim Johni A, Sajjadian I — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:16:54 +0000

Introduction: The presence of violence in workplace is a threatening factor for nurses’ psychological health. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the moderating role of the perceived social support in relationship between workplace violence (physical, Verbal and sexual harassment) with Post Traumatic Stress Disorders symptoms) PTSD( among nurses in Karbala city, Iraq.

Materials and Methods: Research method was descriptive correlation that is used in hierarchical regression analysis. The statistical population of the research included all the hospital nurses of the city of Karbala in Iraq in summer 2023, which among them, 349 nurses were selected by convenience sampling method. The data were collected using the violence in workplace questionnaire, Post Traumatic Stress Disorders symptoms checklist and perceived social support questionnaire. To analyze data, Pearson's correlation coefficient and hierarchical regression analysis statistical tests were used by SPSS software, 26 version.

Results: The results revealed that the perceived social support moderates the relationship between the violence in workplace (physical, verbal and sexual harassment) with post-traumatic stress symptoms (p<0.01). This means that, when the perceived social support is low, the hostility at workplace (physical, verbal and sexual harassment) has a stronger relationship with post-traumatic stress symptoms (p<0.01).

Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that the perceived social support in necessary variable to prevent the destructive effects of violence in nurses' work settings. Therefore, due to the role and importance of perception of social support among nurses, attention to this important finding should be taken into consideration by managers and policy makers of healthcare organizations.

Ergonomic evaluation of working conditions using QEC and ART methods and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in a tile industry

Hosseini MH — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:18:19 +0000

Introduction: The QEC and ART methods are useful tools to identify risk factors that cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders in industries so this research was conducted with the aim of ergonomic evaluation of working conditions using these methods and determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in a tile industry.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, working conditions in a tile industry were evaluated using QEC and ART methods in 2023. Also, the musculoskeletal disorders of 66 workers were recorded using the Nordic questionnaire. The data were transferred to spss software (V.19) and chi-square, independent t-test, Fisher test, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used.

Results: The mean and standard deviation of the age of the studied workers was 30.6±6.11 years, work experience was 5.97±4.95 years, and their body mass index was 23.69±3.42. 68% of workers had at least one musculoskeletal discomfort. The most common discomfort was back pain (50%). There was a significant relationship between shoulder, back, leg, and wrist discomfort with work experience (P<0.05). There was also a significant relationship between discomfort in the shoulders and wrists with age (P<0.05). A positive and significant correlation was obtained between the scores of ART and QEC methods (for QEC with right ART r=0.591 P<0.001 and for QEC with left ART r=0.524 and P<0.001).

Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in this industry, it is necessary to modify workstations according to the results of ART and QEC methods.

The risk of hazards in laboratories of educational groups in the Faculty of Health, Shahid Sadougi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd-2023

Ahmadi F, Fallah R, Halvani GH — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:21:44 +0000

Introduction: Improving the safety of working environments is one of the duties of any efficient system. Evaluating the risk of hazards is one of the most efficient ways for increasing safety important issues. Paying attention to the statistics of laboratory accidents and the positive effects of risk assessment in order to improve safety is of great importance.

Materials and Methods: The present study was practical in terms of purpose, and cross-sectional in terms of descriptive-analytical method, which to evaluate the laboratories of Shahid Sadoqhi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, using a quantitative three-dimensional cost equation. Based on the regular observation of existing processes and equipment, the evaluation team used a quantitative risk equation as an indication of safety performance at the level of laboratories. The ranking was based on the probability of risk, the frequency of effective exposure, and the maximum damage potential through a quantitative equation. Finally, the risk rate score of each laboratory was determined and the ranking of the risk level of the laboratories was announced. Suggested corrective solutions were presented and the evaluation was repeated. After collecting the data, it was entered into SPSS 20 software and interpreted using descriptive and analytical statistics.

Results: In general, 52% of the risks identified in laboratories are at a low risk level. The highest and lowest average evaluation scores were 55.86 ± 30.89 for environmental chemistry and 28.38 ± 13.51 for food safety and health research laboratory, respectively. The highest evaluation score was given to the environment laboratory. There was a significant relationship between the risk components before and after providing the suggested solutions.

Conclusion: According to the results of the research, the overall safety status of the educational laboratories in the Faculty of Health is at a relatively favorable level. However, chemical hazards and thermal safety are the highest priority to control and perform better regarding improvement.

Evaluation of the effect of ergonomic educational intervention on working condition correction and reduction of musculoskeletal disorders in office workers

Ghasemi N, Halvani G, Falah H, Najafipour A, Ghasemi M — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:40:10 +0000

Introduction: The growing trend of office workers and the use of computers in these workstations has caused an increase in the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among them. Most of the studies have emphasized the need for interventions to improve the ergonomics of office workstations. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of ergonomic training intervention on improving working conditions and reducing musculoskeletal disorders in office workers.

Materials and Methods: The present research is a descriptive-analytical and correlational study. The statistical population of the study is all the employees of the administrative staff of Shuttle Company, according to the criteria for entering and exiting the study, 130 people participated in this study. After the initial evaluation of the work situation, the ergonomic training intervention program was presented to the employees of the company to reduce the musculoskeletal injury factors for two months. The physical condition was evaluated before and after the training. Data collection tools included the Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Evaluation Questionnaire (NMQ) and the ROSA posture evaluation method. The data was analyzed by SPSS software; descriptive statistics and Student's t-test were used for statistical analysis.

Results: The results of the study showed that the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders in different age groups is not significant in most body organs and only this relationship has been confirmed in the neck and upper back area. However, the relationship between skeletal and muscular disorders and employees' work history is not significant in most body parts, and only this relationship has been confirmed in the neck and upper back area. Finally, the ergonomic training of the studied subjects has had a significant impact on their calculated risk level (using the ROSA method).

Conclusion: Although most companies have equipment with the necessary ergonomics, employees do not know how to use them correctly. Due to the lack of knowledge of some managers and employees about the importance of ergonomics, it is better to provide these people with the necessary training in this field in addition to creating a work environment by the principles of ergonomics.

Investigating The Effect of Heat Stress Exposure on Visual- Auditory Performances of subjects in laboratory conditions

Jafari MJ, Akhlaghi Pirposhteh E, Ghaffari S — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:43:12 +0000

Background and purpose: heat stress is One of the most important physical harmful factors in open and closed industrial environments. this can affect people's cognitive and mental functions and cause to appear the speed of fatigue, reduce concentration and skill, and increase the amount of errors. Therefore, the current research has The Effect of Heat Stress Exposure on Visual- Auditory Performances of subjects in laboratory conditions.

Materials and methods: This study was conducted on 32 male students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, aged 20 to 29, who were selected according to the condition of consent and meeting the inclusion criteria. Environmental heat stress was applied at three levels of temperature index of 22, 29, and 34 degrees Celsius, and the temperature index of 22 degrees Celsius was considered as the laboratory background condition. Then, they were studied in different laboratory conditions, including exposure to heat stress. The attention level and reaction time of the subjects were evaluated using the IVA (Integrated Visual and Auditory Continues) test tool. The participants completed the written consent form, demographic information form, and general health questionnaire. Also, the heart rate of the people was recorded by a digital heart rate monitor.

Results: The results of this study showed that the amount of visual and auditory attention decreased significantly (p<0.001). The reaction time of people also increased significantly under the influence of heat stress (p<0.001).

Conclusion: The results showed that exposure to heat stress is an effective factor in reaction time, attention level and heart rate, which can reduce accuracy in doing work. Therefore, paying attention to the amount of thermal stress in working environments plays a very important role in improving the speed and performance of people.

Investigating the effect of posture correction on the amount of musculoskeletal pain of patient carriers in Bahoner Hospital, Kerman

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:49:19 +0000

Introduction: Due to the obviousness of musculoskeletal disorders in health workers, especially patient carriers, we felt it necessary to check the amount of musculoskeletal pain in these workers by correcting the posture.

Mateials and Methods:The study is semi-experimental. First, a demographic questionnaire, a self-made questionnaire on the level of awareness and a Nordic questionnaire along with a numerical rating scale to measure the amount of pain related to musculoskeletal disorders were completed for all participants. Then, theoretical and practical interventions were carried out in order to correct posture using occupational medicine, ergonomics, and sports specialists, and again one month and six months later, questionnaires were completed and data were collected. At the end, data analysis was done with SPSS version 24 software.

Results: Descriptive statistics show that interventions aimed at correcting posture reduce the average scores of pain for different body parts of patient carriers. And the most obvious musculoskeletal disorder is back pain.

Statistical analysis showed that comparing the average score of back pain (p=0.000), neck (p=0.014), shoulder (p=0.006), knee (p=0.006) and leg (p=0.016) in patient carriers before There is a significant difference between postural correction and six months later.

However, comparing the average pain score of elbow (p=0.18), wrist (p=0.06), back (p=0.3) and thigh (p=0.08) at the end of six months after correcting the posture, no significant difference was observed.

Conclusion: It seems that correcting the posture while carrying and moving the patient with the help of occupational medicine, ergonomics and sports specialists can reduce musculoskeletal pain in medical workers, especially patient carriers. It was also seen that correcting posture has the fastest and greatest effect on reducing back, neck, shoulder, knee and leg pain.