Hamed Jalilian; Ahmad Soltanzadeh; Abdolhalim Rajabi; Hamidreza Heidari
Abstract
Background: This study aims to assess the consistency of the newly developed Outdoor Environmental Heat Index (OEHI) with existing environmental and physiological heat indices in low thermal stressconditions. This comparison is necessary due to potential variations in the performance of a heat stress ...
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Background: This study aims to assess the consistency of the newly developed Outdoor Environmental Heat Index (OEHI) with existing environmental and physiological heat indices in low thermal stressconditions. This comparison is necessary due to potential variations in the performance of a heat stress index when applied in conditions different from those for which it was developed.Methods: Two current and valid outdoor heat indices, including Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) and Humidex (HD), were used in a descriptive-analytical study to compare the results obtained by OEHI and other indices in evaluating the same condition. Furthermore, the authors considered tympanic temperature as a physiological response to heat and assessed the work environment of 63 outdoor workers at three-hour intervals during the workday.Results: The highest coefficient of determination was assigned to OEHI and Humidex index (R2>0.99, P<0.0001). Regarding the correlation between the OEHI and the WBGT index, this correlation with and without considering the time of the measurement was higher than 0.98. Comparisons for the correlations of thermal indices with tympanic temperature showed poor and significant relations between thermal indices and tympanic temperature (R2<0.19, P<0.0001).Conclusion: OEHI can evaluate the thermal condition in low heat stress conditions, similar to other current and valid thermal stress indices, including WBGT and Humidex. The OEHI shows a better correlation with the Humidex than the WBGT index. However, due to the poor correlation observed between OEHI and tympanic temperature in low-stress conditions, it is recommended to use this index just as a screening index to estimate thermal environmental conditions.
Narges Kaydani; Kourosh Zarea; Ahmad Soltanzadeh
Abstract
Background: Gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases are considered to be among the consequences of shiftwork in nursing staff. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases and model their consequences in nurses.Methods: This cross-sectional study ...
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Background: Gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases are considered to be among the consequences of shiftwork in nursing staff. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases and model their consequences in nurses.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in seven hospitals in Khuzestan Province in 2020. The participants of the study were 652 nurses. The data were collected through a questionnaire developed by Choobineh et al. The questionnaire included demographic questions and shift work related health effects. The modeling was performed via logistic regression in SPSS 22.Results: The prevalence of gastrointestinal (52.53% vs. 35.19%) and cardiovascular (35.02% vs. 22.22%) disorders were significantly higher in shift working nurses than in day-working ones (P<0.05). In addition to shiftwork, work experience, working hours per week, and hospital wards significantly affected the prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders in nurses (P<0.05). The shiftwork system, age, work experience, and working hours per week had significant positive correlations with the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in nurses (P<0.05). Furthermore, the chance of having gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases was 2.73 and 2.08 times more in shift-working nurses than in day-working ones, respectively.Conclusion: Beside the shift work, the findings of the study indicated the important role of other risk factors, such as age, work experience, working hours per week, and hospital wards for the prevalence of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases in nurses. Therefore, it is recommended that these factors should be taken into account while trying to manage, control, and reduce such negative consequences in nurses.
Mohsen Mahdinia; Ahmad Soltanzadeh; Kiana Hosseinzadeh; Alireza Omidi Oskouei
Abstract
Background: Safety culture can be a good indicator of safety performance which can contribute to the formation of the employee safety behaviors. Therefore, recognizing the dimensions of safety culture and their effect on the employee safety behaviors could be a useful step in the management of occupational ...
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Background: Safety culture can be a good indicator of safety performance which can contribute to the formation of the employee safety behaviors. Therefore, recognizing the dimensions of safety culture and their effect on the employee safety behaviors could be a useful step in the management of occupational accidents. As such, this study was conducted in order to investigate the relationship between safety culture dimensions with employee safety behaviors and accidents, in 2019.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 315 employees in 19 different industries in one of the central provinces of Iran. Data collection tools included the safety culture and safety behavior questionnaires. Data were analyzed in IBM SPSS 22.0, using independent T-test, logistic regression, multiple linear regressions, and Factor Analysis.Results: The results showed that safety culture had a multidimensional structure, and all of its dimensions had a positive and significant correlation with safety behaviors (P<0.001). In addition, safety culture had a significant inverse correlation with accidents (P<0.05).Conclusion: Management commitment to safety is a key factor in the improvement of employee safety behavior. To reduce accidents and safety problems, it is recommended that the management should focus adequately on the safety policies and procedures.
