IRAN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH JOURNAL
Year:2009 | Volume:6 | Issue:3|Papers Count:9

Background and aims: Today for access to effective organizations, notice to the work quality factors is very important. The aim of this study is investigating the happiness level among the staff of the faculties in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: For achieving this descriptive, survey research, with random sampling, we selected 144 persons among 401 persons of the staff of the faculties in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Data gathered with two researcher-made questionnaires are happiness, internal and external happiness factors. Validity of the questionnaires calculated with validity of the content and their reliability calculated with Kranbakh Alpha coefficients method. Analysis of the results accomplished in two levels of descriptive and inferential Statistics. Results: The mean of happiness scores and external happiness factors were less than the average level, but the mean of internal happiness factors were the average level. So, there are not meaningful difference between the mean of happiness scores and internal and external happiness factors scores depend on education, experience, and work department, but men happiness scores are more than women happiness scores. On the other hand the mean of internal and external happiness factors scores in married people are more than single. Discussion: Necessity of happiness investigating and their factors are both important for community and its institutions.

Background and aims: Intensity of Magnetic and Electric fields around visual display terminals and its association on health effects were studied.Methods: magnetic and electric fields intensities around 237 VDTs at distances 30¡50¡ 60 cm and different operating conditions (active¸ screen saver¸ shut down) with use of HI-3603 device according to Svensk standard method were monitored.Results: magnetic and electric fields Intensities at 30 cm were higher than standard and at 50 cm Monitors in all measurements were lower than standard (20mA/m MPRII, TCO) and (1V/m, TCO) Magnetic fields intensities of LCD monitors in rare side were higher than all other directions and rise versa intensities of magnetic fields of cathodic monitors were in front than other sides. Differences of magnetic and electric field’s intensities were not significant in various operating conditions (screen saver and active operation). Comparison of chronic syndrome of exhaustion in two groups of case and control, demonstrated higher of prevalence of symptoms such as shedding tears, eye irritation and fatigue in case rather than control group. Conclusion: at time of procurement of monitors TCO standard label should be noticed. During recess times, monitors should be turned off in order to reduce exposure to electric and magnetic fields.

Background and aims: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common peripheral neuropathies. Common risk factors of CTS include hand repetitive movements, awkward posture of wrist and forceful exertions. In Iran, little study has been conducted to determine occupations associated with high prevalence of CTS. Since many manual occupations involve repetitive hands and fingers motions, high prevalence rate of CTS is predicted. This epidemiological study was carried out to determine sex, age, occupation and prominent hand distribution of CTS among patients with CTS referring to Chamran and Nemazi hospitals, Shiraz. Method: In a passive surveillance, data were collected from 305 files of patients with CTS referring to Chamran and Nemazi hospitals from 2002 to 2006. Age, sex, address and phone number of the patients was taken from their files. In the next stage, they were contacted either by person or by telephone and details about their occupations and tasks were asked. Results: Among 305 studied cases, 224 were female (73.4%) and 81 were male (26.6%). Patients' age ranged from 14 to 81 years with mean of 43±14.38 years. Totaly, 286 of paitients were contacted. Among contacted cases, 169 were housewives (59.1%), 45 were office employees (15.7%), 43 were workers (15%), 16 were weavers (5.6%) and 10 were taylors (3.5%). Number of CTS cases in right, left and both hands were 176 (60.1%), 77 (26.3%) and 40 (13.7%), respectively. Surgical procedure was conducted on 194 of cases. Other types of treatments were administrated for the remain 11 cases. Conclusion: Since 74% of CTS cases were observed in female, it could be declared that due to physical body condition and execution of precise repetitive tasks, women were more at risk of CTS. Among occupations, 60% of cases occurred in housewives. Based on the results, in order to prevent CTS occurrence, it is recommended to pay more attention to women and desiging appropriate hand tools (particularly hand tools used in kitchen).

Background and aims: The extensive domains of Nurses' activities and Nursing nature as interdisciplinary science can cause Work pressure and mood disturbance especially depression in Nurses. According to this fact that patient safety was correlated with work place situation and well being of health care providers, this study was aimed to determine Nurses' depression and its associated factors in Namazi Hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Methods: Participants in this descriptive cross sectional study were 311 Nurses who work in Namazi Hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. In this research, the data collecting tools were Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and demographic information form. These data were analyzed by SPSS.win 11 software with using descriptive and inferential statistic such as Chi-square and one way ANOVA. Results: Findings indicate that 41.2% of Nurses are normal and the others suffer from mild (42.4%), moderate (13.8%) and severe depression (2.6%).Analyses using Chi-square showed that depression intensity of Nurses who work in emergency ward and critical care units were more than depression level of the rest(P=0.001). Also, there was significant statistical relationship between depression severity and Nurses' satisfaction of their sleep (P=0.015). Conclusion: Current Nursing work place situation can cause emotional strain and depression. Thus researchers suggest that Hospital Nurse Offices should be use the psychiatric mental health nurse for consult services and education to nurses about coping strategies and management of depressed mood.

Background and aims: Organizational commitment has left a considerable impact on work output of employees as well as on many of their behaviors. On one side one of the issues affecting job behavior of employees and has increasingly become problematic for organizations is Job quitting. This study aimed to survey the Organizational commitment and Job quitting at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2008. The staffs of Administrative Vice-Chancellery of Isfahan University of medical sciences were our statistical population. Data were collected by questionnaire that its validity and reliability was tested in past studies. Date was analyzed by SPSS software. Results: The score of organizational commitment was gained 58.45. The score of affective commitment was 63.27 (first rank), continuance commitment was 50.28 (third rank) and normative commitment was 60.33 (second rank). The maximum score was 100. Furthermore job quitting was in low level.Conclusion: Providing more job security, reforming the employment systems, job enrichment, making some positive changes in organizational culture, holding appropriate training and socializing courses, skill development programs and providing more facilities for staffs are useful to increase commitment and decrease Job Quitting

Background and aims: the musculoskeletal disorders over a large percent of occupational diseases, therefore, in order to protect workers from such disorders, there is a need to evaluate workers positions at work in different jobs. There are several methods to evaluate risk factors causing work - related musculoskeletal disorders. this study perform on bakers population of four different types of bakeries(Tafton davar,Tafton sonnati, sangak and baget) and we evaluated WMSDs causal risk factors by OCRA Index technique. Methods: In this research four data gathering methods including observational, interview ,questioner and check list were utilized. Totally 423 samples by proportional cluster sampling method collected and we used spss15 soft ware for statistical analysis. Results: The results of this investigation demonstrated that maximum mean value of OCRA index in left and right hands were related to shatery task in sangak bakery (OCRA index=14.99).finally,56.5,67.4,77.3 and 75 percent of all tasks at Tafton davar,Tafton sonnati, sangak and baget bakeries respectively were in the red area also our results showed that only ,left and right hands OCRA index means of nandari , forushandegi and nandara/forushandegi tasks were equivalent. Conclusion: with regarding to this point that major of tasks in the bakery job locate in the red zone therefore attention to this problem is necessary and use of ergonomics controls to eliminate or reduce exposure of workers to the ergonomics stressors associated with the development of WMSDs is recommended.

Background and Objective: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is an important occupational disorder. High percentage of workers in occupational environments did not use the hearing protection device against harmful noise. This study was carried out to study factors related to workers' use of Hearing protection Device in Knitting & spinning factories of Yazd city based on protection motivation theory. Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study 280 workers of the knitting & spinning factories of Yazd City who exposed to harmful noise (over 85dB) selected among the three factories by cluster sampling. The data gathered via exclusive interviews with selected workers using the questionnaire designed based on protection motivation theory and were analyzed. Results: 42/5 percent of workers permanently used hearing protection devices, and 20/7 percent of workers never use. There was a significant correlation between the age of workers and the mean score components of PMT, perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, perceived response efficacy and protection motivation. There was also a significant correlation between the work experience and the mean score of PMT factors, perceived severity, perceived response efficacy and perceived vulnerability. Also there was a significant correlation between workers' education level and the mean score of perceived response efficacy and there was a significant correlation between protection motivation and the mean score components of PMT, perceived vulnerability, perceived self-efficacy, perceived response efficacy, perceived costs and behavior. Conclusion: Regarding the significant correlations between the more constructs of PMT and protection motivation of workers for using hearing protective device, designing educational program based on PMT to increase hearing protection devices usage among workers is recommended.

Background and Aims: Using pipelines for oil products transportation involves ranges of safety, health and environmental risks, this option however, is dominant with numerous advantages. The purpose of this study was, relative risk assessment of abovementioned risk in Kermanshah-Sanandaj Oil Pipeline. Methods: The method used in this study was Kent Muhlbauer method in which relative risk was assessed using third-party damage, corrosion, design, incorrect operations and leak impact factor. Results: Once applying this method, collection of required data and performing needed experiments, scoring results showed 96 risk segments along the pipeline length in which lengths 100+860, 101+384 and 103+670 had relative risk scores 9.74, 9.82 and 9.91 respectively and therefore these segments were identified as focal risk points and priority for improvement actions. Conclusion: Regarding importance of pipeline failure, inspection and regular patrol along the pipeline route, precise control of cathodic protection of pipeline and using communication technologies such as SCADA or optical fibers along the pipeline route were amongst the most important control action suggested by the study.