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Vol 7 No 2 (2015)
Published:
2015-10-26
Original Article(s)
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Burnout syndrome is a response to prolonged occupational stress. Workload is one of the organizational risk factors of burnout. With regards to the topic, there are no data on administrative employees’ burnout and workload in Iran. This study seeks to determine the levels of job burnout and their relationships with workload among administrative members of staff. Two hundred and forty two administrative staff from Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences [Iran] volunteered to participate in this cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical research. Various data were collected using the Maslach Burnout Inventory [MBI], NASA-Task Load Index and Demographic questionnaire. ANOVA and Pearson tests were performed using the SPSS version 16. An alpha level of 0.05 was accepted for all tests in this study. Burnout had 49.36 and 16.2 as mean and standard deviation, respectively. Total workload got an average of [76.07±16.32]. Result depicts that the job burnout has significant correlation with age, work experience, gender, and educational levels [P<0.05]. In addition, workload had important correlation with gender and educational levels [P<0.05]. Data shows a significant relation between workload and burnout syndrome [P<0.05]. Levels of the job burnout were acceptable but workload was high among administrative employees. This study indicated a significant correlation between workload and burnout syndrome. Therefore, having the lower level of workload is necessary in order to prevent or reduce of the job burnout and improve the employees’ performance. -
The main purposes of this study were to investigate health problems and their associated risk factors among employees of Iranian petrochemical industries. This cross-sectional study was carried out at 21 Iranian petrochemical companies. Study population consisted of 3580 workers (including 44.2% shift workers and 55.8% day workers). Data on personal details, shift schedule and health problems were collected by anonymous questionnaire. Statistical analyses and regression modeling were performed using SPSS, version 22.0. Means of age in shift workers and day workers were 33.15±7.73 and 34.56±8.19 years, respectively. The results showed that prevalence of health problems among shift workers was higher than that of day workers. Binary logistic regression indicated that in addition to shift working, age, long working hours, type of employment, level of education and job title were also associated with health outcomes. Although, working in shift system was the main risk factor associated with the health problems, but demographic and work variables had association. -
Accidents and their resulting losses are one of the critical public health issues. Identification the near misses offer the opportunity to improve safety by developing effective prevention approach. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of two types of intervention in increasing the participation of first line managers in reporting near misses. In order to increase the participation, the Green Card System (GCS) was implemented. After preliminary studies, in order to increase the participation rate, the decision was taken to implement the intervention program. In this program, first line managers were divided into two groups. For the control group, the bonus was increased to double whereas, for the experimental group, in addition to the two-fold increasing remuneration (bonus), appropriate feedback and actions carried out in the context of reported near misses, were presented through regular collaborative meetings. The results showed that six months after the stop of the intervention, the rate of participation in both groups showed a significant increase. After 18 months of intervention, the participation trend in both groups was downward. However, this reduction was only significant in the control group. The findings highlight the long-term effects of the intervention of financial payments along with providing appropriate feedback.
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Low Back pain (LBP) is the most common type of musculoskeletal disorder (MSDs) in transfer tasks such as nursing personnel. Financial and economic costs expended for these disorders affect not only the individual, but the organization and society as well. The aim of this study was to evaluate associated factors in the incidence of LBP among nursing personnel according to risk assessment methods related to the patient's transfer. The present analytical study was conducted on 243 nurses in Kerman, Iran in 2014. The instruments for gathering data were Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), MAPO and PTAI checklists. The data was analysed using SPSS.16 software. The prevalence of LBP among nursing personnel was 69.55%. Based on MAPO index, 48.2% of wards had moderate level of risk. In addition, the results of PTAI index also showed that 76.5% of the studied subjects were at the second risk level (moderate risk) of LBP. Work experience, work shifts and the final score of PTAI index were factors that affected prevalence of LBP the most. In this regard, we recommend the modification of factors such as guidance in work posture, use of patient transfer equipment and guidance in their use, work arrangement, mental strain of patient transfer, physical load of patient transfer and Frequency of manual patient transfer.
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More than one percent of the labor force in each country consists of welders exposed to various damages caused by welding. The number of studies conducted in this field is low, especially in Iran. In this paper, we tried to discover any temporary and reversible obstructive effect of welding fumes on the respiratory systems of welders. In this cross-sectional study, peak expiratory flow rates and respiratory symptoms of 37 welders during work shift were evaluated. Peak expiratory flow rates of welders were recorded in three working days and one non-working day. Peak expiratory flow rates in working days were compared with non-working Peak expiratory flow rates as a control measure. PEF values were higher in every recorded time in non-working days than that of working days. Besides, PEF of the middle shift decreased an hour after end of the shift had increased. Changes in PEF since the start of shift until an hour after the shift had the same pattern in all four days, but in conflict with daily physiological patterns. Fewer people complained respiratory symptoms such as cough and sputum in non-working days. Therefore, exposure to the welding fumes can result in reversible and temporary effect on PEF and this could lead to bronchial irritation and cause respiratory symptoms. Therefore, it is recommended that welders use sufficient respiratory protection and weld in places with air ventilator specialty when welding with CO2 in order to reduce irritant effects of welding fumes on respiratory systems.
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Although researchers in this decade have proposed several answers concerning the association between socio-economic levels of health, still one question is not well understood: whether in school or domestic environments, low and high socio-economic status may influence asthma and respiratory symptoms on primary school students. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which primary school with environment low and high socio-economic status, and respiratory health among the students. Respiratory symptoms and asthma among Australian school students' within high and low socio-economic backgrounds were studied in 2007. A cross sectional study in three stages questionnaire survey, indoor air quality monitoring in schools and indoor air quality assessment in houses were carried out to explain the impact of school and domestic air quality on respiratory symptoms among primary school students at schools with high and low socio-economic backgrounds. The data were analysed using statistical tests like Correlation, One- Way ANOVA and T-test. The study results have shown that school children with low socio-economic backgrounds showed more respiratory symptoms. Also, there was a significant difference between boys and girls respiratory symptoms. Those who studied in schools with higher SES had fewer asthma and respiratory symptoms. Several elements such as smoking at home, the amount of particular matters and volatile organic compounds inside the house and usage of detergents inside the classrooms were the main reasons to student's respiratory symptoms. This study concluded that there is a negative correlation between SES and respiratory symptoms among school students and low socio-economic status of school's environments itself is a risk factor for respiratory symptoms and astma among school childrens.
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Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning is one of the most common causes of death in Iran. The present study investigated the indoor and outdoor CO concentrations at hospitals under the supervision of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Sari, Iran.Indoor and outdoor measured CO were conducted over a period of one month during the 2012 winter season in 4 hospital kitchens using a direct measurement device specialized for CO. The average concentrations of CO gas through gas measuring stations were considered at three stations both in and out of the kitchens.The highest and the lowest average concentrations of outdoor CO in Fatemeh Zahra Hospital (about 2 ppm) and Zare Hospital (about 0.33 ppm) were measured respectively. Besides, the highest and the lowest average concentrations of indoor CO were detected in Imam Hospital (as 9.66 ppm) and BuAli Hospital (as7.66 ppm). The highest ratios of I/O (approximately 10 ppm) have been conducted between 8:00 and 9:00a.m. The lowest median concentrations of CO (approximately 8 ppm) between 11:00 and 12:00 a.m. have been measured. Concentrations of CO in all hospitals in this study were significant.This fact shows poorly ventilation of kitchen due to lack of ventilation design engineering.
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Predicting Correct Body Posture based on Theory of Planned Behavior in Iranian Operating Room Nurses
Due to the importance of correct posture for preventing musculoskeletal disorders, the purpose of this study was to evaluate Theory of Planned Behavior in Predicting correct Body Posture in operating room nurses.In this cross-sectional study, participants (n=100) were nurses from five hospitals located in northern Iran. Participants completed demographic data and theory of planned behavior construct Questionnaires. In addition, the researcher checked the Body Posture of nurses by Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA).The Meanage of nurses was 33.54 yr, (SD=6/51).Multivariate regression showed that attitudes and perceived behavioral control werepredictive of behavioral intention of nurses’readiness to assume correct posture (P<0.001, R2=0.31), nurses who had more positive attitude and more perceived behavioral control were more likely to have intentions towards correct body posture. Furthermore, only behavioral intention is predictive of readiness correct posture among nurses. Nurses who had more behavioral intentionfor correct body posture were more likely to intend to do.The attitudes and perceived behavioral control were predictive of behavioral intentions for correct body posture.Therefore, the design of intervention strategies based on the promotion of attitudes and perceived behavioral control was recommended to nurses.
