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Background: Mental workload (MW) and occupational fatigue (OF) are among the harmful factors in the working environment of the emergency nursing profession, which can be related to the quality of care provided and job stress (JS) in emergency nurses. Accordingly, this study investigates the relationship between MW, MF and JS in emergency nurses in 2023 in Ardabil, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by measuring OF, JS and MW of emergency nurses in hospitals of Ardabil Province, Iran. Information was collected through a checklist that recorded the demographic information in addition to the NASA task load index, JS by Orly and Giordano and the Swedish OF inventory questionnaires. The statistical analysis was conducted by the SPSS software, version 22. Results: The mean mental state of the participants was 16.7±3.6. Meanwhile, 40% of nurses had a high mental load. The mean condition of the OF was high (49.02±4.2; 23.2%). Regarding JS, 45.5%, 25.9% and 28.6% were the high, medium, and low levels, respectively. A direct and significant relationship was detected between MW, JS and OF (P<0.05). Conclusion: The mean MW, JS and OF among emergency nurses were high. Almost half and about a quarter of the emergency nurses are under JS and OF, respectively. Therefore, to improve emergency nurses' health conations, and productivity, and create safe conditions in emergencies, the control and management of this harmful occupational factor should be under continuous monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Driver drowsiness is a significant factor contributing to road accidents and the overall increase in road mortality rates. This study investigates the relationship between number of lane crossing (LC), the amount of lateral position deviations and driver drowsiness. The proposed method, due to precision and convenience, has great potential for developing driver-assistant systems. Materials and Methods: In this experimental research, 34 sub-urban bus drivers participated in a 2-h driving session in a simulator designed based on visual reality. Sensors attached to the steering recorded right and left deviations and relevant information was matched with the receded videos and the amount of the standard deviation of lane position (SDLP). The number of LC was determined with the designed indicator on the road software. Then, the association between SDLP and the number of LC was compared with the results of the Karolinska sleepiness scale (KSS) and observer rating of drowsiness (ORD), which determined the level of drowsiness, by facial features. Results: The results of multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the time variable has a significant effect on both ORD and SDLP (P<0.05). These two variables provided over 99% of the variance. The same results were obtained for KSS and SDLP (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the linear combination of these two dependent variables over 12 periods of the research has significant variations. In addition, the results show the progression of KSS and ORD (P<0.05) and an increase in SDLP and LC (P<0.05). In the same manner, LC has a tight association with the level of drowsiness and other factors (P<0.05). Conclusion: Drowsiness increases the variation in line tracking. However, it is not an appropriate signal for drowsiness detection. The SDLP and the number of line crossings is an. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study was done aiming at determining the exposure of taxi drivers to vibration on 35 safe taxis (19 cars with engine volume of 1.325 L, 9 cars with engine volume of 1.645 L, and 7 cars with engine volume of 1.761 L). Measurements were based on 'ISO 2631-1' on seats' pans, by Castel GA2005 vibrometer. The results through two different evaluative methods indicated moderate exposure levels, corresponding to suggestive Health Guidance Caution Zone (HGCZ) in 'ISO 2631-1'. Evaluation of exposure to the WBV among taxi drivers, in the taxis with low and high mean acceleration values, using the VDV method is preferred over the R.M.S method. In lower accelerations, in all conditions, the mean of the reckoned values in the VDV method was less than the R.M.S method, and in higher accelerations, where there are more differences, and the CF values were higher (PAIK 1761 cars), again the assessed mean duration in the VDV method is less than R.M.S method. In higher accelerations and with fewer crest factors, this matter didn't hold, and the allowed time in the R.M.S method became lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Fire extinguishing operations are carried out by firefighters equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) in dangerous environments. Although PPE protects firefighters, it can affect many physiological parameters. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of PPE on firefighters' heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (OC) and body temperature (BT). METHODS: This systematic review thoroughly reviewed relevant articles in the reliable databases "Web of Science", "Embase", "IranDoc", "IranMedex", "SID", "Magiran", "Google Scholar", "PubMed" and "Scopus" from 2010 to 2021. Some of the used search terms were "firefighters", "personal protective equipment", "heart rate" and "oxygen consumption". RESULTS: Out of the 405 studies identified through the systematic search, 18 articles were eligible according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist, among which 11 studies were conducted in North America, three in Asia, two in Europe, and two studies in Oceania. According to the review of studies, PPE increased HR, BT, and OC. The type of PPE components, the weight of the equipment, the kind of activity of firefighters, and weather conditions were among the influencing parameters on the extent of PPE's influence on these physiological parameters. CONCLUSION: The results of the studies show that PPE separately and collectively affects the physiological parameters of HR, BT and OC. To reduce these effects, it is necessary to pay attention to several items, including the weight of PPE, the type of PPE ingredients in different weather conditions, and the type of activities of firefighters in PPE design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Road accidents are regarded as one of the most critical global health issues. In Iran, road accidents are the second cause of death, followed by cardiovascular diseases. The present study was conducted with the aim of the epidemiological evaluation of deaths caused by road accidents in Torbat Heydariyeh City, Iran, between 2013 and 2017. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which information on fatal road accidents recorded in the Forensic Medicine Organization of Torbat Heydariyeh City was collected from 2013 to 2017. Excel software was used to analyze the data. A total of 311 fatal accidents have been reported in Torbat Heydariyeh from 2013 to 2017. Results: The Mean±SD age of the deceased was 39.55±22.71. Men accounted for 69% of deaths. Most road accidents occurred in 2016 with a percentage of 24%, most of which happened in the sixth month with a percentage of 13%. Head injury in road accidents was reported as the main cause of death (48%). 130 of the dead were passengers (42%). The type of vehicle used by victims of road accidents was motorcycles (25%), and pedestrians (18%). Conclusion: Since fatal road accidents impose direct and indirect costs on society, intervention measures, such as repairing the roads on accident-prone roads, installing warning signs, defined fines, etc., should be taken to improve public health and prevent the increasing trend of accidents in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the importance of industrial accidents in workplaces, the current study aimed at epidemiologically investigating occupational accidents in some industrial sites in Semnan, Iran. Materials and Methods: The current descriptive-analytical study was conducted on all accidents taking place from 2014 to 2016 in some industrial sites in Semnan. The data were extracted from the Department of Labor and Social Affairs of Semnan. SPSS software version 21 was employed to analyze data using Chi-square and logistic regression tests. Results: The mean and standard deviation of workers age in non-fatal and fatal accidents were 30.28±13 and 32±11.21 years, respectively. There was no significant difference in variables such as gender, workers experience, marital status, type of industry (construction, mining, rubber, and agriculture), and educational level between fatal and non-fatal accidents (P>0.05). A significant relationship was observed between insurance coverage status and fatal accidents (P=0.002). The rate of fatal accidents was 8.4 times more in 2015 than 2014 (P=0.006; odds ratio=4.8). Conclusion: The rate of accidents in industrial sites can be significantly reduced by taking advantage of accident prevention programs and training courses. Occupational safety and health program can promote the performance of workers. In this regard, the development and conduction of industrial emergency plans can reduce fatal accident rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quality of work life depends on a combination of variables in the work environment that has an important impact on organizational commitment, work participation, and job performance. Therefore, measuring two variables of quality of work life and organizational commitment is important for all employees of organizations, including emergency nurses, who are important members of the health service community. This study aimed to determine the relationship between quality of work life and organizational commitment among Iranian emergency nurses. Materials and Methods: A descriptive and correlational study was conducted in 2016. The study population included all emergency nurses working in one of the hospitals of Kerman Province, Iran. The data collection tool was the personal and occupational questionnaire, Walton quality of work life questionnaire, and Allen and Meier organizational commitment questionnaire. Data analysis was performed by using descriptive tests, the Pearson correlation and ANOVA statistics tests in SPSS V. 23. Results: The results showed that the quality of work life has a positive and significant relationship (r=0.49, P=0.017) with organizational commitment. More specifically, quality of work life is related to emotional commitment (r=0.44, P=0.001), normative commitment (r=0.40, P=0.003) and continuous commitment (r=0.33, P=0.015). Conclusion: Since the higher quality of work life brings more commitment for employees, managers can improve the essential components of working life quality of nurses by adopting appropriate solutions, and providing the necessary conditions for improving the quality of service provision and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a global problem which evolves at different workplaces such as industries, administrative, and agriculture sectors. In various studies, such disorders were assessed through multiple methods. It is necessary to evaluate different tools to use them in diverse communities. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the new ergonomic evaluating method of Novel Ergonomic Postural Assessment (NERPA) method in Iran. Methods: The employees (n=455) of operational units of four companies (drug producers, printing and publishing houses, dairy, and drinks producers) were assessed in 2014. It was a cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study. One of the researchers developed a questionnaire that was applied to collect demographic data. The NERPA, Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), and Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) methods were utilized to analyze posture risk factors. Spearman correlation and Kappa agreement were used to analyze the collected data through SPSS V22. Results: Findings indicated that printing company had the best and pharmaceutical industries had the worst state regarding RULA’s results. The risk levels between NERPA and REBA were not statistically significant (P>0.05), however, that was significant with RULA’s outcome. Also, the results of NERPA and other two methods were correlated significantly (P<0.05). Pain in the lumbar area was implied to be the most prevalent problem (35.1%). Discussion: Data of the present study suggest that NERPA method was a valid tool compared to RULA. The NERPA method could be used to evaluate standing tasks among industrial workers. However, the concurrent validity of NERPA method compared with results of REBA, as a widely used method, were not verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Consumption of healthy and hygienic foods is imperative to live a healthy life. This issue is of greater importance when obtaining foodstuff is relatively tough. The countries prone to natural disasters should always be prepared for a crisis. The present study aims to investigate awareness among the students in Azad University of Medical Sciences regarding nutrition and storing foodstuff in case of crisis. Materials and Methods: A descriptive-analytical method was used in the present study. The study participants included 1350 students in Azad University of Medical Science which were selected randomly from all students in the academic year 2015-2016. Experts confirmed the validity of the questionnaire and it was distributed among the students. The collected data was analyzed through SPSS version 16. Results: Given the results of the study, only 35% of the participants had a good level of awareness, 38.5% had moderate awareness, and 26.5% had low level of awareness about nutrition and how to store food during crisis. No significant gender and age (a=0.05) difference was observed. Conclusion: Health experts and authorities should be aware of nutrition safety and sampling risky foods. This process can be helpful in case of a crisis, especially during early hours of the crisis and after the settlement of the displaced population are essential. To that end, training the experts and authorities responsible for such situations can be helpful. Therefore, holding training courses and teaching for related authorities on how to prevent waterborne and foodborne disease can prevent from food poisoning outbreaks and high mortality rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]