Showing 8 results for Mental Workload
Majid Fallahi, Majid Motamedzade, Zahra Sharifi, Rashid Heidari Moghaddam, Alireza Soltanian,
Volume 4, Issue 3 (12-2016)
Abstract
Introduction: Advances in technology and the use of complex systems at work have imposed high mental workloads to operators; so, continuous monitoring of mental workload can help to prevent mental problems and maintain mental health. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of mental workload on physiological and subjective responses.
Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was performed on 16 healthy university students in 2014 at a laboratory setting. Physiological parameters of surface electromyography and electrocardiography in six blocks (resting, high mental work, moderate, low, very low and recovery) were measured using NeXus-4. After performing each block, the NASA-TLX questionnaire was completed. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 21.0. A 5% significance level was adopted in all the tests.
Results: The results showed significant differences for the average score of NASA-TLX between the different levels of mental work load (P < 0.05). Also, the analysis of repeated measures variance showed significant differences for heart rate and heart rate variability parameters in the six blocks (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed for the shoulder muscles activity.
Conclusions: Different levels of mental work load can impact on people's subjective responses and some of their physiological responses. Thus, in such workplaces, it will be necessary to conduct an ergonomic program to manage mental health.
Mojgan Zoaktafi, Seyed Abolfazl Zakerian, Alireza Choobine, Samane Nematolahi,
Volume 4, Issue 3 (12-2016)
Abstract
Introduction: The progress of technology and modern technology has changed today’s workplaces and imposed more mental and cognitive demands to workers. Control room is an example of these workplaces. Currently, assessment of mental workload is a key point in the research and development of human-machine relationships in workplaces. This study aimed to validate an analytical approach in evaluating demanded mental workloads for control room operators in Pars combined cycle power plant.
Methods: This was a fundamental-practical and cross-sectional study. First of all, a task analysis was used to understand the operation steps of control room operators. Then, the Visual, Auditory, Cognitive, Psychomotor (VACP) technique was applied to determine the mental workload demanded for performing each step of the works. Finally, the assigned ratings of the VACP method were validated by the analysis of Pearson’s correlation with the answers of the NASA-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) questionnaire, collected from the control room operators.
Results: Based on the results, the correlation between the assigned ratings of VACP technique and the answers of the NASA-TLX questionnaire was positive and significant.
Conclusions: Due to the high correlation between the assigned ratings of VACP technique and the answers of the NASA-TLX questionnaire, the proposed VACP technique, which can be carried out in the early stage of the design, was suitable as an analysis tool for predicting metal workloads of control room operators.
Fatemeh Rostami, Maryam Feiz Arefi, Amin Babaei-Pouya, Azam Ahangirimehr,
Volume 8, Issue 2 (6-2020)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Nurses are the main staff of the hospital. The large number of clients, the high volume of work and the shortage of staff increase the mental workload of nurses. On the other hand, reducing the control of the work process leads to mental stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of job control and explaining the relationship between job satisfaction and mental workload in nurses.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 188 nurses of educational hospitals in Shushtar and Ardabil cities, Iran, in 2019. Research tools included demographic information questionnaire, NASA-TLX questionnaire, Job description index (JDI) questionnaire, and job control questionnaire. For Data analysis the correlation coefficient and regression analysis with SPSS-18 and AMOS-18 software were used.
Results: Based on the results, the final model had good fitness (GFI=0.859, CFI=0.921, RMSEA=0.067). The results also showed that there is a significant relationship between mental workload and job satisfaction (P<0.001, r=-0.33) and this relationship has increased with the presence of job control (P<0.001, r=-0.42).
Conclusion: High levels of job control are associated with increased job satisfaction and reduced workload. As a result, in order to reduce the mental workload and increase job satisfaction, job control of nurses can be increased to improve working conditions.
Ghazale Sadeghzade, Somaye Rahmati, Fatemeh Sadeghi, Amjad Mohammadi Bolbanabad, Ebrahim Darvishi,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (10-2021)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: The pandemic and the crisis caused by the COVID-19 have challenged health care organizations around the world, causing human casualties and health concerns around the world and in Iran. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mental workload and job burnout of medical employees during the Covid-19 pandemic in Iran.
Method: The present descriptive-analytic research has been conducted on 510 medical and diagnostic staff in the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, and Sanandaj. The mental workload and the job burnout of staff have been evaluated using NASA-TLX software and the job burnout Maslach, respectively. Statistical tests including t-test, ANOVA, and multivariate linear regression were used to analyze the data using a STATA-14 software package.
Results: The mean mental workload of employees associated with patients suffering COVID-19 and those not associated was estimated at 83.7±8.1 and 79.9±9.6 respectively. The mean of job burnout was estimated at 79.6±16.2 and 79.7±16.9, respectively, which were not statistically significant. The results of linear regression showed that being married (coefficient = -6.57, P value=0.003), employment as a Tarh (coefficient = -12.71, P value=0.002), inverse relationship and Work in Isfahan hospitals (coefficient = 21.21, P value<0.001) was directly related to burnout. Women (coefficient = 3.61, P value<0.001), having a relationship with COVID-19 patients (coefficient = 5.9, P value<0.001) had a direct relationship with the amount of mental work.
Conclusion: The mental workload and job burnout in medical employees during the COVID-19 pandemic are high, and warning and the mental workload in employees associated with patients suffering COVID-19 are higher than other employees.
Davood Afshari, Maryam Nourollahi-Darabad, Noorollah Karimi, Maryam Seyed Tabib,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (7-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: Nurses are at the front line of treatment and coping with COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the present study investigates the pandemic’s impact on nurses ’mental workload and determines its predictive factors.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was done on 234 nurses in two groups working at COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards in 2020. The criteria for entering the study were the absence of psychological problems. Data was gathered using the General Health Questionnaire, NASA-TLX, and Demographic Questionnaire.
Results: The mean of the overall mental workload score in the group of nurses working at the Covid-19 wards (70.09 ± 2.51) was higher than the group of nurses working in the non-COVID-19 wards (66.55 ± 2.02). This difference was significant (P = 0.01). There was a significant difference between the mean score of the mental demand, the physical demand, the temporal demand, and the frustration level of the two groups. With the exception of performance, the group of nurses working in the corona ward had a higher mean score in all aspects. In the proposed linear model, 16% of the overall changes in mental workload depended on two variables, which were age and work experience. The work experience was the most influential factor in predicting nurses' mental workload.
Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed the importance of paying attention to the mental workload of nurses as well as personal and occupational factors affecting mental workload in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, control and management of effective factors can help reduce mental workload, especially during pandemic conditions.
Gholamabbas Shirali, Abbas Mohammadi, Atefe Elyasigomari,
Volume 10, Issue 2 (9-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: Psychological parameters are among the most important components in determining the job performance of employees in the workplace and can be strongly affected by the epidemic of infectious diseases like COVID-19. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on mental workload and Occupational burnout of medical staff in Iran.
Methods: This case-control study was performed among the healthcare staff of two hospitals in Tehran province in 2021. All employees working in two hospitals were included by census method. The total number of people studied was 412 personnel. NASA-TLX and Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaires were used to assess mental workload and burnout, respectively. Data were analyzed using Independent t-test and Chi-square.
Results: The present study results revealed that the mean age, work experience, daily working hours, and body mass index of the studied employees were 36.70 ± 11.48 years, 12.53 ± 7.13 years, 9.64 ± 3.13 hours, and 23.89 ± 4.73 kg/m2, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two groups of cases and controls in the values of mental workload (P = 0.011) and burnout (P = 0.001).
Conclusion: The present study's findings revealed that the prevalence of COVID-19 could increase the values of mental workload parameters and burnout of health care personnel in medical settings. Therefore, control measures and psychological interventions to improve healthcare personnel's mental and physical health during the COVID-19 epidemic are mandatory.
Rashid Heidarimoghadam, Alireza Mortezapour, Khadijeh Najafighobadi, Hamid Saeednia, Saeedeh Mosaferchi,
Volume 10, Issue 3 (12-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: The importance of surgery and its high workload are not hidden from anyone. So far, various studies have been conducted with the NASA-TLX instrument and other commonly used instruments to measure surgeons’ workload. The present study seeks to investigate the relationship between the mental workload of surgeons and their productivity through the validation of specialized tools for this job in Iranian culture.
Methods: After checking the validity and reliability of "SURG-TLX" and productivity tools, they were utilized among 60 surgeons to investigate the relationship between their workload and productivity (WHO-HPQ tool). Content validity indices, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and Spearman's correlation coefficient were used to analyse the results.
Results: Both tools had good validity and reliability in Iranian culture. The results of the relationship between mental workload subscales with different dimensions of productivity showed that some dimensions of mental workload including mental needs (correlation coefficient -0.65 and significance level 0.02), physical needs (correlation coefficient -0.54 and significance level 0.04) and time requirements (correlation coefficient -0.44 and significance level 0.02) had a reverse and significant relationship with the overall productivity score. Despite the reverse relationship between the other dimensions of mental workload and the overall productivity score in surgeons, this relationship was not statistically significant. The results indicated a reverse and significant relationship between some of the mental workload and some of the productivity subscales.
Conclusion: In addition to the possibility of using these tools in the future studies in Iran, due to the direct relationship between workload and productivity in surgeons, measures can be taken to maintain the workload at a standard level and prevent the reduction of their productivity.
Hanieh Abdi, Seyed Abolfazl Zakerian, Kamal Azam, Payam Khanlari Baniyarani,
Volume 11, Issue 4 (1-2024)
Abstract
Objectives: Road accidents and related damages and casualties are among the most important concerns of today's societies. Mental workload is one of the main human factors that can cause other factors, such as stress and anger. The present study was conducted to investigate the mental workload and its effect on changing the components of drivers' moods.
Methods: A total of 88 tour taxi drivers from Qazvin City participated in this study to examine the desired components. The driving Activity Load Index was used to evaluate mental load and the Profile of Mood States questionnaire to measure drivers' mood components. Based on the designed scenario of driving on high-traffic roads, the desired variables were evaluated. To check the relationship between these variables, paired t-tests and Pearson correlation analysis were used in SPSS version 24 software.
Results: The mean scores of the drivers' work history and age were obtained at 46.60±10.12 and 13.47±9.39 years, respectively. The obtained findings showed that driving on high-traffic roads significantly increased the average mental workload of drivers (P<0.001). Growth in the drivers' mental workload led to a decrease in some mood components that had a positive effect, such as happiness (r=-0.143, P=0.157) and vitality (r=-0.646, P=0.050), while it resulted in a rise in the mood component of depression (r=0.020, P= 0.248).
Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that as driving continues, drivers experience a rise in mental workload. However, there was no correlation regarding the effect of this component on the mood components.
