Iranian Journal of Ergonomics

Introduction: As a healthcare providing establishment, hospitals can be affected by sources of noise pollution which then impose negative effects on the health and comfort of patients and personnel. The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between sound annoyance and general health in the personnel of university affiliated and non-university affiliated hospitals in Shiraz.

Materials and Methods: The present descriptive analytical study was conducted in four university affiliated and non-university affiliated hospitals in Shiraz with a sample size of 300 using a predetermined equation and according to the results of previous studies. The instruments used in the study included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Noise Annoyance Scale (NAS) and an audiometer (CEL-440 model).

Findings: The present study found a small inverse relationship between the total general health score in the hospital personnel and the sound pressure level at university-affiliated hospitals (r=-0.103) and a direct positive relationship at non-university affiliated hospitals (r=0.274), which were not statistically significant (P≤0.05). The relationship of somatic symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction and depression to sound pressure was inverse and small (r=-0.195 and P≥0.05). However, there was a direct positive relationship between general health and sound annoyance (r=0.266 and P≤0.05).Conclusion: According to the results obtained, noise levels are higher than the acceptable exposure limit in university-affiliated hospitals, which affect both the patients' and the personnel's general health, necessitating the adoption of control measures.

Introduction: Foot anthropometric dimensions could be useful in designing comfortable footwear. The objective of this study was the measurement of foot anthropometric dimensions in a group of students.

Methods: This was a descriptive study in which 21 dimensions of foot for 580 males and females were measured manually. To measure the foot dimensions, a digital caliper and a tape were used. The measured dimensions included the important lengths, widths, heights and girths of foot. Descriptive statistics such as percentiles, mean and standard deviation were calculated for the collected data. To test and survey of the mean of foot dimensions between males and females, statistics such as independent t-test and effect size (Cohen’s d) were used.

Results: The values of mean, standard deviation, the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles were calculate and tabulated for the total studied population and for gender. In all measured foot dimensions, males had bigger dimensions than females. Gender had different impacts on the measured foot dimensions. The mean of all foot dimensions was significantly different between males and females (P value = 0.001). Digital pattering of I and II were observed in 78% and 22% of the studied population, respectively.

Conclusions: In the present study, important anthropometric data of foot were collected for a group of students. The presented percentiles could be used in design of male and female shoes. Conducting similar studies in children with different age categories could help completion of the anthropometric database.

Background and Objectives: Given the increasing prevalence of smart phone usage, it can be considered as an important and significant issue in all aspects of human life. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to study the effect of duration of smartphone use on head and shoulders’ posture of young adults aged 20-35 years.
Methods: The statistical population of this study was young people aged 20 to 35 with smart phones who were resident of Kish Island in 2018. A sample of 50 people (25 men and 25 women) were selected voluntarily and purposefully. Low- user and High- user groups were identified by completing the form of addiction to smart cell phone, in assessing the status of upper limb, the shoulder position was measured by Scapular index and head position was measured by photogrammetric method technique and Kinovea software. Independent t-test was used for comparison of experimental variables between two groups. Data were analyzed with SPSS  22. P<0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The findings showed that there is a significant difference between upper limb posture in Low- user and High- user groups (P=0.033). There was also a significant difference in shoulder position between men and women (P=0.002). But regarding head positioning, there was no significant difference between men and women (P=0.436).
Conclusion: Thus, it seems that considering the significant difference between the two groups mentioned for upper limb posture, we can use the results of this study to inform, prevent and improve the upper.