Showing 28 results for Questionnaire
Farin Khanehshenas, Teimour Allahyari, H.reza Khalkhali,
Volume 1, Issue 3 (3-2014)
Abstract
Introduction: Bank staff experience high level of job stress due to the nature of their work. One of the consequences of stress is its impact on job performance. Since the internal studies in this area are relatively rare, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the psychosocial stressors and job performance among bank staff.
Materials and Methods: All staff of the bank branches participated in this study. The General Nordic Questionnaire and Human Resource Productivity Questionnaire were used for data collection. The correlation coefficient and regression models were employed to examine the relationship between job stressors and their scales as independent variables and job performance as the dependent variable. Furthermore, in order to accurately assess the relations between variables, structural equation models were utilized.
Results: The results revealed that the prevalence of stress among bank staff was in moderate level (46.6%). Meanwhile, there was a negative and significant relationship between stress in "task domain" and "socio-organizational domain" and job performance. Among the measures in socio-organizational domain, organizational culture and leadership showed highly negative and significant relationships with job performance (p= 0.001).
Conclusion: According to the obtained results, socio-organizational domain can be considered as the main cause of loss of productivity. Hence, it is suggested to make further attempts to control the psychosocial factors in workplaces and avoid performance deterioration, particularly in organizational culture and leadership measures.
Somayeh Bolghanabadi, Habibollah Dehghan, Mehdi Pour,
Volume 2, Issue 1 (6-2014)
Abstract
Introduction: The development of the industry has led to an increased incidence of muscle-skeletal disorders. The disorders increased caused by factors such as type of job, repetition of work, intensity and duration of the work. Food industries, including industries that are doing the type of job that involves repetitive movements, this study examined was conducted the role of stress and other psychosocial factors on musculoskeletal disorders.
Methods: The present cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in different organs and factors affecting food production was one of the workers. According to a random sample of 215 workers were studied with an average age of 39 years. To evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was used of the Nordic questionnaire, also for of occupational stress was used OSIPOW questionnaire the data obtained are analyzed by SPSS 16 software and processing of data with the descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation test.
Results: The results showed that the study population in the past 12 months the most common symptoms of lower back 69.8%. We were founded between stress and musculoskeletal discomfort in the neck, shoulder, wrist, upper back, a significant relationship (P<0.05). We were founded between smoking and low back pain (P <0.05), shoulder pain (P = 0.023), leg pain (P = 0.008) statistical test significant. As well as we were found between the average working hours per day and work experience, with musculoskeletal symptoms, fatigue, and BMI also a significant relationship.
Conclusions: The results obtained in this study shows that job stress, work experience, BMI, the number of working hours and fatigue is considered a risk factor for upper extremity musculoskeletal disorder.
Maziyar Arassi, Heidar Mohammadi, Majid Motamedzade, Mojtaba Kamalinia, Davoud Mardani, Misagh Mohammadi Beiragani, Mehdi Shekari, Mehdi Akbarzadeh,
Volume 2, Issue 1 (6-2014)
Abstract
Background: Psychosocial factors are present in most workplaces that could affect various aspects of workers’ health. Accordingly, psychosocial risks may lead to work related musculoskeletal disorders, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, effect on quality of working life, sickness absence, depression work injuries and accidents and various health problems. The aim of the present study was to assess work psychosocial problems and their association with non-fatal occupational accidents among Aghmary workers of Iranian drilling rigs.
Methods: A cross-sectional study using the short version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) was carried out on a total sample of 270 employees working on Aghmary system in drilling rigs. History of non-fatal occupational accidents was assessed by self-report during one year prior to the study. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS 16.0.
Results: The results showed that high work pace (OR=1.55), high emotional demands (OR=1.62), high influence at work (OR=1.5), low quality of leadership (OR=1.8), low social support (OR=1.87), high burnout (OR=1.72) and high threat of violence (OR=6.2) were significantly related to non-fatal occupational accident.
Conclusions: This study revealed the significant association between occupational accident and some psychosocial dimensions and recommended the incorporation of psychosocial factors in preventive measures.
Shirazeh Arghami, Hamid Ghanbari, Ghasem Zahirian,
Volume 2, Issue 1 (6-2014)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: Shiftwork is a social phenomenon that can have adverse effects on human life. Given the importance of the shiftwork system and caused by the related health problems, the present study was conducted to determine the health status of and shift workers in a hospital.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in one of the hospitals in Razan (Iran). The sample size consisted of 120 medical, administration and service staff. The SOS questionnaire was used for data collection. The data analysis was performed in SPSS software by χ2.
Results: The results showed that 98.3% of complaints were about personal, social and familial problems, and 84.9% were related to musculoskeletal disorders. . Satisfaction of rotating shift work and shift work voluntarily chosen variables, the rotation of the shift, shift work and adverse effects on personal life, adverse effects on family life revealed a significant relationship (P<0.05). Instead, insomnia common variables, adverse effects on social life and social problems showed no significant relationship.
Mansour Ziaei, Hamed Yarmohammadi, Behzad Karamimatin, Soudabeh Yarmohammadi, Zeinab Nazari, Faramarz Gharagozlou,
Volume 2, Issue 2 (9-2014)
Abstract
Background: Nurses’ Burnout can lead to increasing absenteeism and also decreasing energy and quality of service that provided by them. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of occupational burnout and its related factors among nurses of a hospital in Kermanshah city in 2013.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study 189 nurses were selected randomly. Data were collected by demographic questionnaire and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The gathered data were analyzed by Pearson, Independent T-test and ANOVA in statistical level of p≤0.05.
Results: Mean score of occupational burnout was 61.89. 39.2% nurses reported high emotional exhaustion, 37.6% high depersonalization and 73.5% of them had low personal accomplishment. There were statistical relationship between emotional exhaustion with employment status (p=0.015) and educational degree (p=0.041), between depersonalization with employment status (p=0.022) and working shift (p=0.023), and also between personal accomplishment with age (p=0.010), working experience (p=0.002) and shift working (p=0.045).
Conclusion: The level of nurses’ occupational burnout was average to high. The causes may be high workload, unsafe and boring work environment and high stress. It can be increased the commitment, positive sense to work and personal accomplishment can be reinforced by correct management of human resources including the determination of duties and strategies according to nurses’ ability, new approaches for encouragement and motivation as well as running stress management workshops.
Javad Faradmal, Javad Keshvari Kamran,
Volume 2, Issue 3 (12-2014)
Abstract
Introduction: Index of usability
evaluates performance, user satisfaction and increased productivity in a
product. Principles of usability are effectiveness, efficiency, safety, utility,
learnability, Memorability. This Study Aims to Develop a Tool to Estimate and
Evaluate the Usability of Web Applications in the field of Automation Research
has been determined.
Material and Methods: After extracting,
an initial questionnaire to assess the usability of the standard resource for
indices of validity, internal consistency and reproducibility, respectively
technique for determining the content validity, test-retest method and
cronbach's alpha coefficient were used. The most important steps were as follow:
(1) determine the scope and dimensions of the questions (2) preparing draft questionnaire (3) appoint the members of the expert panel (4) methods, how
data analysis (5) determine the acceptance criteria
of the questions (6) determine the content validity index (7) determine reliability
of the questionnaire (8) determine reproducibility of the questionnaire.
Results: A 50-Item
questionnaire was designed as the ultimate tool. The content validity index
value of 0.763 was obtained ultimately for the questionnaire. Analysis of the
questionnaire responses revealed that the lower backend errors related to the
reliability coefficient alpha value was equal to 0.742. Finally, the degree of
reproducibility of the questionnaire, using test-retest method, was equal to
value of 0.993 (p <0.001).
Conclusion: After the
final questionnaire design, with good reliability and validity, it is
noticeable that the designed tool is applicable on relevant softwares and may
improve the quality and efficiency of the software and user interface.
Hamid Salmani Nodooshan, Shaghayegh Koohi Booshehri, Alireza Choobineh, Hadi Daneshmandi, Abdolhalim Rajabi,
Volume 2, Issue 3 (12-2014)
Abstract
Introduction: In the orthotic
and prosthetic workshops, awkward postures, repetitive and continuously
movements etc. are the risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This
study was conducted with the objective of ergonomic assessment of working
conditions in these workshops.
Material and Methods: In this study
all employed personnel of linorthotic and prosthetic production centers in Shiraz
city participated (n=42).Data were collected using Nordic Musculoskeletal disorders
Questionnaire (NMQ) and Ergonomic Risk Factor checklist (ERF)for assessment of
working conditions .Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (Ver. 16).
Results: The means
(SD) of age and job tenure (years) in employees studied were 37.26 (10.21) and
12.8 (9.39), respectively .The most prevalent MSDs symptoms were reported in
lower back (42.9%), shoulder (40.5%) and knee (40.5%).Working condition
assessment by ERF check list revealed that the means core of upper and lower
region of body and also mean of total score were higher than acceptable limit
(more than 7)..
Conclusion: In working
conditions improvement, corrective measures and MSDs risk factors control in
studied workers should be noted to risk factors in low back, shoulder and knee.
The results of this study showed that ergonomic problems in orthotics and
prosthetics clinics was related to "custom shoe making",
"grinding and finishing", "filling plaster cast" and
"positive cast rectification" tasks and ergonomic interventions to
decrees and/or eliminate of awkward working posture needed corrections.
Parisa Hosseini Koukamari, Abdolzahra Naami, Teimour Allahyari,
Volume 3, Issue 1 (6-2015)
Abstract
Introduction:
Adaptive performance is defined as an employee’s ability to deal with changes and new and unusual situations
in the workplace. The present study
mainly focused on factor analysis of the Adaptive Performance Scale (APS) and
determining its validity and reliability. Adaptive
performance is a multi-dimensional
structure with five
latent factors.
Materials and Methods: This method
validation study was conducted in Ahvaz, Iran. 210 randomly selected
public hospital nurses completed the Persian version of the APS. Exploratory factor analysis (varimax rotation) was used to explore the
factor structure of the scale. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were applied
to fit the model.
Results: The
overall reliability of the APS was confirmed (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89). Factor
analysis was used to evaluate the factor structure of the scale. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index (0.88) and
Bartlett's sphericity test result (1639.093) were both significant.
Finally, varimax rotation showed all items to have significant factor loadings.
Conclusion: Our findings
confirmed the acceptable psychometric properties (reliability
and validity) of the APS for administration among nurses. Therefore, the
adaptive performance construct contains five distinct dimensions, namely dealing with emergency and
unexpected situations, work stress
management, creative problem solving,
learning, and interpersonal adaptability. These results are consistent
with previous studies.
Tahereh Gholami, Ahmad Heidari Pahlavian, Mehdi Akbarzadeh, Majid Motamedzade, Rashid Heidari Moghadam,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (12-2015)
Abstract
Introduction: As workplaces, hospitals are filled with stressors, including environmental and physical stressors (such as noise pollution and poor lighting), human stressors (such as conflicts with colleagues) and organizational stressors (such as heavy workloads and unsuitable work shifts). The inability to cope with these stressors entails physical, psychological and behavioral outcomes for the employees. The present study was conducted to evaluate job stress in nursing personnel and to design a model for assessing the severity of musculoskeletal disorders caused by job stress among nurses.
Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 500 nurses working in various teaching hospitals of Hamadan. Data were collected through four questionnaires, including the Job Content Questionnaire, Maslach’s Burnout Inventory, the Visual Analogue Scale and a Demographic Questionnaire. Data were then analyzed in SPSS-16 and LISREL-8.3 using descriptive statistics.
Results: The results of the structural equation modeling showed that job burnout has a mediating effect between the severity of musculoskeletal disorders and job stress. In other words, if factors contributing to job burnout are present, the psychosocial risk factors yielded by the Job Content Questionnaire then contribute to the severity of musculoskeletal disorders.
Conclusion: Given the negative effects of job stress among nurses, health decision-makers are recommended to take measures to reduce stressors such as the physical and psychological demands of the workplace, the lack of support and the lack of job security.
Shirazeh Arghami, Maryam Moradi, Fatemeh Habibi,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (12-2015)
Abstract
Background: Driver’s fatigue is a major factor contributing to the prevalence of road accidents. A vast number of city dwellers in most countries use public transport bus services to move around the city. Driver’s fatigue causes job burnout and affects the risk of a traffic accident injuring the public. Several methods have been used to date for evaluating mental fatigue however, using questionnaires tends to be a less time-consuming and more accessible technique. The present study was therefore conducted to develop a mental fatigue questionnaire for public transport bus drivers.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted based on the criteria used for qualitative research. Semi-structured interviews were held with public transport bus drivers using probing questions and data were collected until their saturation so as to enable access to a direct description of mental fatigue by the bus drivers. Data saturation occurred with 30 interviews and sampling was then discontinued. The analysis of the interviews led to the extraction of the themes and an initial list of questionnaire items was then developed. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were then evaluated through examining the content validity and internal consistency of the items. The content validity of the items was calculated using Lawshe’s table. A minimum CVR of 0.99 and a minimum CVI of 0.75 denoted an acceptable content validity for the items. To determine the internal consistency of the items, 200 bus drivers completed the final version of the questionnaire. The data obtained were then analyzed in SPSS-16 using Cronbach's alpha to measure the reliability of the questionnaire and considering an acceptance level of 0.7.
Results: The interviews conducted at the beginning of the study with 30 drivers led to the emergence of an initial list with 26 items. A total of 9 items with a CVR less than 0.99 were omitted from the list and 17 items with adequate simplicity, clarity and correlation between them and which had a minimum CVI of 0.75 were kept. The questionnaire had a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.87 and was therefore considered a reliable tool.
Conclusion: The questionnaire developed in this study has a good validity and reliability and can therefore be used to assess mental fatigue in public transport bus drivers.
Hamidreza Mokhtarinia, Asrin Shafiee, Marzieh Pashmdarfard,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (12-2015)
Abstract
Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders are among the top 10 injuries accounting for absence from work. The Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ-E) is one of the many tools used to examine these disorders. The present study was conducted to translate and localize the NMQ-E and to evaluate the face validity and test-retest reliability of its Persian version.
Materials and Methods: The present non-empirical methodological study used the International Quality Of Life Assessment (IQOLA) approach to translate the NMQ-E into Persian. The face validity of the Persian version was examined in a sample of 15 patients with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and its absolute and relative test-retest reliability were examined in a sample of 48 patients using the Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) and the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC). The Kappa coefficient was also used to measure the inter-rater agreement for nominal variables.
Results: The translation and localization of the NMQ-E was deemed easy and acceptable. All the items of the questionnaire had an acceptable face validity. The Intra-class Correlation Coefficient and the Standard Error of Measurement of the Persian version of the NMQ-E were deemed acceptable (SEM=0.56-1.76 and ICC>0.7) and the Kappa coefficient was calculated as 0.78-1.00.
Conclusion: The Persian version of the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire showed an acceptable validity and test-retest reliability for assessing musculoskeletal disorders in Iranian patients.
Vafa Feyzi, Akram Jafari Roodbandi, Salman Farahbakhsh, Hoshyar Rezaei,
Volume 4, Issue 3 (12-2016)
Abstract
Introduction: the quality of life of nurses and nurse aides is under the influence of various factors including the occupational ones, which affect the quality of their services. The purpose of this research was to investigate the occupational and demographic factors effective on the quality of life of nurses and nurse aides working in teaching hospitals affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: the present research was a cross-sectional one conducted in 2014 on 620 nurses and nurse aides. Simple random sampling method was utilized. The data were collected via the World Health Organization Quality of Life short form (questionnaire). Shift working, having a second job, marital status, length of marriage and having a shift working spouse were the independent variables of this study. Data were analyzed in SPSS 18 software using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s correlation coefficient, independent t and linear regression statistical tests.
Results: the average age, length of marriage and work experience in hospital were 32.81 ± 7.84, 10.61 ± 7.30 and 10.29 ± 7.68, respectively. The number of children, having a second job, satisfaction from the hours spent with family, and belief in the effect of night work on family life were factors effective on quality of life (P > 0.05). The highest relationship of quality of life was with environmental health (r = 0.87, P = 0.001) and the lowest was with social health (r = 0.75, P = 0.002).
Conclusions: Avoiding to have a second job, scientific planning of shift work schedules and trainings relevant to life skills in shift workers would help improve the quality of life of nurses and nurse aides.
Majid Motamedzade, Asghar Payoon, Rashid Heydari Moghaddam3, Javad Fradmal, Mohammad Babamiri, Payam Heydari,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (6-2017)
Abstract
Introduction: Muscle-skeletal disorders are one of the most common job-related disorders in industrial workplaces due to different reasons. The current study performed an ergonomic assessment using the key indicator index (KIM) in order to reduce injuries in the bottle-making salon of one of the detergent-producing industries of Qazvin province.
Methods: This study was an interventional study and consisted of 25 workers and was done in a bottle-making salon of one of the detergent-producing industries, during year 2016. For data collection, the Cornell questionnaire and key indicator index assessment method were used before and after the ergonomic interventions. Data was analyzed by descriptive analytical tests using the SPSS 16 software.
Results: According to the results, in the bottle production task (risk score: 4), the risk score decreased significantly by redesign (risk score: 2). Also, regarding the bottle's material, supply task that workers used to do it by manual material handling (risk score: 3), by redesign, risk score decreased significantly (risk score: 1).
Conclusions: In this study, musculoskeletal disorders decreased meaningfully by workstation ergonomic redesign after 5 months from the intervention.
Esmaeel Khanmohammadi, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomsheh, Reza Osqueizadeh,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (9-2017)
Abstract
Introduction: Different studies around the world have shown that Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) are the causes of lost time, absenteeism, and disability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate of musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and to evaluate their ergonomic risk factors and determine the effect of ergonomic intervention on awkward postures among workers of Saipa Diesel Truck manufacturing plants.
Methods: This interventional study (Before-after) was conducted on 130 workers of 2 largest truck-manufacturing plants in Iran. The prevalence rate of MSDs and ergonomic risk factors was assessed by valid and reliable translated Body Map Questionnaire (BM) and Quick Exposure Check (QEC) method, respectively.
Results: According to Body Map results, 87.5% of participants had MSDs at least in one of their eleven body regions during the previous year, before study. The highest prevalence rate of MSDs was observed in lower back (51.5%) and foot area (18.5%). Chi square test revealed that the prevalence rate of MSDs was higher among those with higher QEC risk level (P < 0.001). Results also indicated the significant effect of ergonomic interventions on reducing the prevalence rate of MSDs and QEC risk level (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: This study showed that the prevalence rate of MSDs and QEC risk levels among workers was significantly high. Therefore, it can be mentioned that the need for early ergonomic interventions is felt in all industrial units of these truck-manufacturing plants.
Elham Ahmadi Kivanani, Mostafa Pouyakian, Abbass Alipour,
Volume 6, Issue 4 (3-2019)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Accurate measurement of the employees’ satisfaction with their office chairs can provide valid feedback on the chair design quality for the manufacturers and researchers. This study aims to design a valid and psychometrically evaluated questionnaire for measuring satisfaction with office chairs.
Methods: Through studying the two main documents about chair ergonomics including Iranian office chair standard No. 11388-1 and a valid Persian questionnaire on satisfaction with educational chairs (Mirmohammadi et al.), the initial 39-item office chair satisfaction questionnaire has been developed. Then face and content validity of the questionnaire have been checked out using qualitative and quantitative approach. Quantitative face validity was analyzed using impact score method. Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) have been used for quantitative content validity analysis. In order to analyze the questionnaire’s reliability, two methods including the internal consistency and constancy have been applied. To measure the internal consistency, α-Cronbach (alpha coefficient) and to evaluate constancy (test-retest) have been employed. Also, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized for specifying its sensitivity, specificity, and cut-off point. The data was analyzed by SPSS 21 and Stata V.14
Results: Mean (CVR) and (CVI) of final questionnaire have been calculated as 0.93 and 0.95, respectively. Questionnaire’s α-Cronbach coefficient has been gained 0.8. Kappa coefficient (for inter-rater agreement) has showed high score (0.91) in the test-retest results, indicating high correlation and good constancy of the questionnaire. In the ROC, the cut-off point was reported as 75.5 with the sensitivity and specificity of 86.2 and 100, respectively, and area under the ROC curve at this cut-off point was 0.96.
Conclusion: The final 34-item questionnaire has exhibited acceptable reliability and validity for measuring satisfaction level of office chairs.
Mahnaz Ahmadlu, Mostafa Pouyakian, Mohammad Ranjbarian, Soheila Khodakarim,
Volume 7, Issue 2 (9-2019)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: There are various models of socket wrench in the market varying in the length and diameter of handle and weight. Each of these features alone can modify the force applied by the hand and affect how comfortable the user is. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between dimensional properties and weight of several models of socket wrench with their usability index score.
Methods: 58 male technicians from maintenance units of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences performed the task of opening 12 bolts with 8 N/m of torque using 6 models of socket wrench with different physical properties. The sample size was selected based on proposed figures for usability studies. The System Usability Index (SUS) validated questionnaire was used to determine the usability score of each model after the experiment. The study was conducted in 2017. SPSS 21 was used for data analysis.
Results: The results showed that there was a significant relationship between usability index score and dimensional properties and weight of wrenches (P<0.001). Wrench models with longer handle and diameter size close to optimum range of diameter of hand tools for male users had a higher usability score, and participants reported a better test experience with these models.
Conclusion: Using the System Usability Index (SUS Questionnaire) to measure the quality of human-centered design of hand tools is a good way to evaluate and select the hand tools that are widely used by technical staff. The results of this study are valid for short-term applications of wrenches. However, for long time activities, epidemiological and physiological evidences such as EMG should also be used.
Mohammadreza Jannati, Hamed Aghaei, Taleb Askaripoor, Mehdi Khazaei, Ehsan Bayat Khalaji, Elahe Kazemi,
Volume 8, Issue 2 (6-2020)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Despite the main role of cranes in advancing construction operations, however, accidents and occupational injuries resulting from their activities have become a critical issue. Recent evidence suggests that the cause of these problems may be associated with the absence of design of the interior space of the crane cabin, and the tasks of the operators, based on ergonomic principles. This study was conducted to assess the ergonomic risk of the tower crane operator’s activities and redesigning the dimensions and interior space of these cranes, based on the anthropometric dimensions of Iranian operators.
Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 30 male tower crane operators working on three major construction projects in Tehran were investigated. Initially, a multi-step approach was applied to define the problem, including: observing the working statuses, interviewing operators, Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire, and rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) method. Then, using anthropometric data, the dimensions and interior space of the crane chamber were redesigned.
Results: The results of the rapid upper limb assessment method showed that the activities of tower crane operators were at high and very high-risk levels. Also, 85% and 38.5% of these people reported pain and discomfort in one of the nine areas of their body in the last 12 months and 7 days, respectively. In this study, the dimensions of the interior space of the redesigned tower crane cabin were obtained 160.8×144.1×199.7.
Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the current interior design of the tower crane cabin does not fulfill the needs of the operators. Hence, redesigning it appears essential to enhance human-machine compatibility, improve safety and productivity, and prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).
Neda Mahdavi, Javad Faradmal, Iman Dianat, Hassan Khotanlou, Rashid Haidari Moghadam,
Volume 8, Issue 3 (10-2020)
Abstract
Backgrond and Aim: Fatigue is a common and highly prevalent problem among workers. Muscle fatigue is the result of general fatigue that is caused by different risk factors. This research was conducted to assess grip fatigue between workers with manual tasks and its relationship to psychosocial risk factors.
Methods: In this study, Jamar hydraulic dynamometer was used to investigate the decrease in the production of grip force or grip fatigue. The grip force of 157 subjects in three job levels that met inclusion criteria recorded, three times in an 8 hours shift. The psychosocial risk factors were also assessed using the Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire and their relationship with grip force and grip fatigue was analyzed.
Results: sixty-one percent, 62%, and 69% of employees in light, medium, and heavy tasks, respectively, experienced grip fatigue in the second phase of the study. It seems that as the power/speed increased and the tasks became more difficult, employees experienced more grip fatigue in the right hand. The declining trend of grip force and the increase in grip fatigue was more evident in heavy task jobs. No moderate or strong correlation was observed between the psychosocial risk factors and grip fatigue.
Conclusion: Because the nature of worker tasks in heavy manual tasks required more force exertion, they experienced more grip fatigue in their right hand than other workers. It is not possible to draw definitive conclusions about the impact of psychosocial risk factors on grip fatigue. Investigating the impact of cognitive loads and anthropometric dimensions on grip fatigue can be an interesting topic for future studies.
Hassan Sadeghi Naeini, Mohammad Zolfaghari,
Volume 8, Issue 3 (10-2020)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Annually, a percentage of the profits from the sale of goods and services by producers are spent on costs of musculoskeletal disorders due to non-compliance with ergonomic conditions. These costs are not favorable for organizations and employees and in most cases, ergonomic risk factors affect the quality of life of employees.
Methods: The present field study was conducted as a census on 193 workers with medical records in one of the domestic automotive industries on December 2018. The highest prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders belonged to 16 workers, so their workstations were analyzed. Questionnaire with the help of Nordic questionnaire and through interviews with workers has been one of the methods of collecting data. Each of the selected workstations was analyzed with OWAS method after job photography and video recording.
Results: The results showed that three work stations from the viewpoint of Action Categories are at the level of three, three work stations at the level of two and one station at the level of one, and then the costs of incidence and treatment and related actions due to establishing ergonomic conditions were calculated.
Conclusion: Cost of workstations analysis, Preventive actions and also designing a process to reduce the musculoskeletal abnormalities of the staff, which results in ergonomic conditions, compared with the cost of incidence and treatment of musculoskeletal complications is cost-effective for this automotive industry.
Abbasali Jafari-Nodoushan, Golnaz Bagheri, Fatemesadat Mosavi Nodoushan,
Volume 8, Issue 3 (10-2020)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Faculty Members of the university have a fundamental role in education and its quality. Working conditions of the faculty members have made them face severe musculoskeletal disorders. The spread of the COVID-19 virus, the closure of universities and the virtual education have made working conditions of the faculty members more difficult than before. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the virus on the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders of the faculty members of the university and the extraction of variables affecting the disorders.
Methods: This descriptive-survey study was conducted in 2020 on 220 faculty members of Yazd University who were selected by the simple random sampling method. Data were collected using the standardized Nordic questionnaire in two stages before and after the spread of the virus and were analyzed in SPSS 25 by paired sample t-test, independent t-test, and analysis of variance.
Results: Musculoskeletal disorders after the spread of the virus in most organs have increased significantly, so that frequency percentage in the neck for the three campuses has increased from 36%, 40%, and 31% to 55%, 52%, and 44 %. There is a significant relationship between gender, work experience, and teaching method with the prevalence of disorders. Most disorders were in the back, neck, and knees.
Conclusion: A small percentage of faculty members perform sports activities and daily exercises that by planning on them can reduce the disorders. The university can also prevent the centralization of education at a specific time by dividing the virtual education during the day and week and reduce the disorders.
