Showing 27 results for Occupational
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.
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.
Fatemeh Khayati, Mahmood Nasr Esfahani, Marjan Firoozeh, Amir Kavoosi, Mahnaz Saremi,
Volume 2, Issue 3 (12-2014)
Abstract
Introduction: High
prevalence of neck pain has become an important health complain among dental
practitioners which is followed by reduced working performance, burnout and
early retirement. The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship
between individual and occupational risk factors as well as forward head
posture (FHP) with dentist’s neck pain and to determine the priority of these
factors in the development of the neck pain.
Material and Methods: In this cross
- sectional study, 70 dentists of two dental centers in Tehran were examined
with clinical testing of FHP. Individual and job characteristics were collected
by means of a questionnaire. The visual analog scale (VAS) was applied in order
to determine the severity of pain in various parts of the body. Spearman and
Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple linear regressions were used to
examine the relationship and effect of the studied variables in creating the
neck pain.
Results: According to
the results, neck was the most painful part of the body (66.6%). Indeed, 40
(57.1%) of participating dentists were suffering from the forward head posture.
The results of the multiple linear regression showed that the FHP with the
standard coefficient (β= 0.64) was the most influential factor in predicting
the incidence of neck pain.
Conclusion: The FHP has a
greater impact than any other individual and job factors in creating neck pain.
It may be concluded that awkward neck posture is the most important risk factor
for neck pain in static sitting jobs such as dentistry.
Amir Aliabadi, Ghasem Hesam, Zahra Moradpoor,
Volume 2, Issue 4 (3-2015)
Abstract
Introduction: Welding is
considered to be one of the main sources of occupational exposure to non
ionizing radiations. The present study was conducted to examine the rate of
occupational exposure to non-ionizing radiation in common welding processes.
Materials and
Methods: In the present descriptive analytical study, occupational
exposure to different types of non-ionizing radiations including
electromagnetic fields with extremely low frequency and ultraviolet and
infrared radiations were examined in five types of arc welding processes at the
welding department of the technical and vocational training center of Malayer.
Electric field intensities and magnetic field intensities were measured using
the HOLADAY HI-3604 instrument and based on the ANSI/IEEE Std 644-1994 method. Ultraviolet and infrared radiation intensities
were measured using Hagner-EC1 radiometer (made in Sweden).
Results: Electric
field intensities and magnetic field intensities were lower than the exposure
limits in the different types of welding processes examined. Nevertheless, the
intensity of UV-B radiation
exposure was higher than the exposure limits in the different types of welding
processes examined, while UV-A radiation exposure was only higher than the
exposure limits in arc welding. The results of measuring UV radiation
intensities transmitted through protective goggles revealed the acceptable
shade number of the lenses used. However, welders' clothing did not provide
adequate protection. Moreover, the results showed that welders' infrared
radiation exposure degree was much lower than the exposure limits.
Conclusion: The intensity
of exposure to non-ionizing radiations was influenced by the type of welding
process taken. Given the overexposure of welders to UV-B radiation in unshielded conditions, wearing clothes with
an Ultraviolet Protection Factor of 50 is necessary for providing better
protection.
Fozieh Javadpour, Sareh Keshavarzi, Alireza Choobineh, Mandana Aghabaigi,
Volume 3, Issue 1 (6-2015)
Abstract
Introduction: Perceived work-related
fatigue is an important issue since it may adversely impact workers’
performance. Additionally, workers’ fatigue is known as a main cause of
occupational accidents in workplaces. Considering the consequences of perceived
work-related fatigue, assessing fatigue at workplace is critical to
work-related fatigue risk management. Therefore, this study assessed the
validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Swedish Occupational
Fatigue Inventory (SOFI-20) among Iranian employees.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional
study, 501 employees of two petrochemical companies were selected by simple
sampling method. The Persian version of SOFI-20 was developed using forward and
backward translation processes and used to collect the required data. The
validity and reliability of the translated inventory were examined by
confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient,
respectively.
Results: Assuming
that some items of the Persian version of the SOFI-20 were correlated, the
confirmatory factor analysis was repeated to achieve better fitness. The results of CFA revealed an acceptable fit for the
Persian version of SOFI-20. The total Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient for the
SOFI-20 was 0.95. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for different dimensions of the
SOFI-20 were found to range from 0.690 to 0.887.
Conclusion: The validity and
reliability of the Persian version of the SOFI-20 was acceptable for assessing
the dimensions of work-related fatigue among Iranian employees.
Aram Tirgar, Seyed Ehsan Samaei,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (6-2017)
Abstract
Introduction: Content analysis is amongst common methods of scientific research of journals. According to the paucity of such studies in the ergonomics scope and the need for information on the direction and characteristics of conducted research and in order to gain more detailed plans, this study aimed to perform a content analysis of scientific outputs regarding occupational Health with an emphasis on ergonomics.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on articles published by Persian and interior Latin journals with a minimum track record of 3 years for a period of 10 years, from 2005 to 2015. Data were collected via a researcher-made checklist, using census and based on the content analysis method.
Results: The extracted data, from 927 articles during the period of 10 years, from 5 specialized journals, showed that the largest share of researches was related to the ergonomics scope (24.27%). The main research tools used in ergonomics articles were questionnaires (69.77%). Based on the types of studies, only 15.55% of ergonomic researches were based on interventional studies.
Conclusions: Articles with the subject of ergonomics have increased over the past decade. Most research has been conducted with an emphasis on physical health; however, psychological and social aspects of health have been somewhat neglected. Most research in ergonomics scope was descriptive, analytical, and cross-sectional. In this regard, more attention should be paid to interventional studies.
Fariba Kiani, Tayebe Rahimi Pordanjani, Ali Mohamadzadeh Ebrahimi,
Volume 6, Issue 1 (6-2018)
Abstract
Background: The majority of research have led to interventions such as stress management design and have neglected the role of psychosocial factors in occupational stress. The aim of current research was to the relationship between occupational stress and health consequences among the workers in regards with the perceived organizational support.
Methods: 211 individuals of Isfahan Steel Company were selected according to the stratified random sampling method and completed questionnaires about demography characteristics, Occupational stress, incident reporting rate and perceived organizational support. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive index and multiple regression analysis using SPSS18.
Results: Results showed that there were significant relationships among perceived organizational support, Occupational stress and incident reporting rate (P<0.05). Also, hierarchy regression analysis showed that the relationship between Occupational stress and incident reporting rate was partially mediated by perceived organizational support (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that perceived organizational support can modify the relationship between occupational stress and involvement in work accidents, and as a result, employees are less involved in risk behaviors and accidents are less caused by occupational stress.
Fatemeh Zameni, Ahmad Soltanzadeh, Parvin Nasiri,
Volume 6, Issue 2 (9-2018)
Abstract
Introduction: In the modern industrial world, the health of the employees in different Occupations can be influenced by the interaction of various risk factors. So, the purpose of present study was to assess and analyze the relationship between the factors including shift work, job stress, job satisfaction and health in a petrochemical industry.
Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted using analytical and cross-sectional method. The statistical population was all employees of a petrochemical company (4000 people). Using the Cochran formula, a sample of 360 individuals were selected using simple random sampling method. Data was collected using a high reliability integrated questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.83). Data was analyzed using SPSS22.0.
Results: The analytical results of relationship between shift work, occupational stress, occupational satisfaction and health showed that all hypotheses in the conceptual model were approved and there was a significant relationship between these factors (P<0.001). Also, the results showed that, in addition to the direct effect of shift work on health, due to the effect on occupational stress and occupational satisfaction, it was indirectly related to health (P <0.001).
Conclusion: The findings indicated that shift work as a direct factor and as a mediator and indirect factor through impact on factors such as occupational satisfaction and stress can affect the health of employees. Therefore, considering this organizational phenomenon and its redesign or its change can play an important role in increasing the level of occupational health and motivation as well as organizational productivity.
Afshin Marzban, Abdollah Hayati,
Volume 6, Issue 3 (10-2018)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Fruit harvesting operation, one of the most important operations related to date palm production, is performed manually. Manual date palm harvest suffers from frequent occupational risk factors due to excessive need of physical work resulting in work related illness and productivity reduction.
Methods: Present study was undertaken with recruiting twenty three harvest workers to evaluate and compare upper-trunk (consisting of work tasks: climbing, cutting the bunch, and descending) and bottom-trunk operations regarding physiological (heart rate and heart rate ratio) and physical (body pain) strains to identify onerous critical operations to address with simple and inexpensive interventions by future attempts.
Results: Upper trunk operation posed a more physiological strain as heart rate (29.4%) and heart rate ratio (177.8%) higher than bottom trunk operation. Body pain was self-reported by the upper trunk workers in low back and sole, and by lower trunk workers in low back.
Conclusion: The upper trunk operation was the onerous critical operation in manual date palm harvest, and climbing was the most critical work task in upper trunk operation. Climbing causes the highest physiological strain because workers moved in converse of gravity force, whereas descending led to lowest one because of moving in the similar direction with gravity.
Iraj Alimohammad, Reza Pourbabaki, Kazem Rahmani, Mehrdad Souri, Fakhradin Ahmadi Kanrash,
Volume 7, Issue 1 (5-2019)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Studies have shown the effect of smoking on mental and cognitive performance of the individuals who need to concentrate on their work. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of smoking on cognitive performance of the automotive industry workers.
Methods: In this case-control study conducted in 2018, 280 automotive industry workers were selected through the simple random sampling and then assigned to two groups of smokers (100 cases) and non-smokers (180 controls). All the subjects were selected from the environments with the sound levels of 82 to 88 dB. The workers’ cognitive performance was also tested using the CPT, Stroop and Tower of London tests.
Results: The mean age of the case group was 36/02 (3/7) and that of the control group was 36/25 (3/65) years. The results showed that the scores of the TOL test in the case group (smokers) were lower than those of the non-smokers (OR=0/903, P<0.01), and other items of the TOL test had no significant relationship with the individuals’ smoking status (P>0/05). The Stroop and continuous performance tests also had a significant relationship with the individuals’ smoking status in terms of the number of correct responses and the response time as well as interference (P<0.01). Other items had no relationship with the individuals’ smoking status (P>0/05).
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the use of cigarettes and nicotine substances significantly decreased the workers’ mental and intellectual performance, and smokers were more likely to suffer from concentration interference, low brain processing speed in decision-making, and low precision at work, compared to non-smokers.
Fakhradin Ahmadi Kanrash, Iraj Alimohammad, Jamileh Abolaghasemi, Kazem Rahmani,
Volume 7, Issue 1 (5-2019)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Noise pollution is one of the most harmful physical factors in working environments in developed and developing countries, which has significant impacts on the workers’ quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate mental and physiological effects of chronic exposure to noise.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out randomly in 2018 on 250 workers in the automotive Industry. To measure the subjects’ aggression and annoyance levels, the Buss and Perry’s Aggression Questionnaire was used as well as an annoyance questionnaire. In this study, blood pressure measurement was also done using ALPK2 mercuric pressure gauge.
Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure and noise annoyance in the groups with a lower-than-85 and higher-than-85 dB sound pressure levels (P<0.001). Besides, the results of multivariate regression showed that the annoyance level and sound pressure level had a significant relationship with the workers’ blood pressure (P<0.01). Also, there was a significant correlation between aggression components and sound pressure level (P<0.01).
Conclusion: The results of this study clearly showed that chronic exposure to noise in work environments was associated with psychological and physiological changes, such as increased blood pressure and aggression levels. Hence, implementation of preventive programs can help reduce the incidence of the psychological and physiological disorders.
Amin Amiri Ebrahimabadi, Ahmad Soltanzadeh, Samira Ghiyasi,
Volume 8, Issue 1 (5-2020)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Occupational accidents are recognized as one of the major concerns in the mining industry. The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence of occupational accidents in a mine for 10 years using Human Factor Analysis and Classification System (HFACS).
Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 664 mining accidents during 2009-2018. The tools used in this study included accident reporting checklists, human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS), and a team approach to analyze these accidents. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS AMOS v. 23.0.
Results: The accident frequency rate (AFR) was 15.10±3.34. The results of 10-years accident analysis in this mine based on HFACS model showed that the highest contribution of each parameter to the four layers including unsafe acts, preconditions for unsafe acts, unsafe supervision and organizational influences were respectively devoted to perceptual error (64.4%), Physical environment (29.5%), inadequate supervision (59.6%), and organizational process (65.6%). The results of structural equation modeling showed that the AFR is directly and indirectly affected by the layers of the HFACS model (P<0.05). The most significant impact on the AFR was related to the unsafe acts layer.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that all four causal layers of human factors were effective in mine accidents, in addition the HFACS model is highly effective for unsafe acts-based accidents analysis, so it can be used for future planning to reduce accidents in the mining sector.
Shiva Sakhaie, Mohamad Asgari, Ahmad Borjali, Amirhosein Mahmoodi,
Volume 8, Issue 1 (5-2020)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Job stress is among the factors that affect job performance. The present study aimed at the developing and studying the effectiveness of an educational package to cope with the occupational stress of the flight crew.
Methods: The research method is mixed (qualitative & quantitative). The statistical population in the qualitative section consists of elites and informants in the field of coping strategies for the flight crew’s stress and seven people were selected by targeted sampling method. In the quantitative method, the statistical population included Mahan flight crew and forty people were selected through convenient sampling and they were randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups. The quasi-experimental method with an unbalanced control group was used. The Vandroff’s Job Stress Questionnaire was used for measuring the dependent variable. The data were analyzed by Multivariable Variance method and Independent t-test for differential scoring using SPSS 25 software.
Results: The results indicated that the educational package of coping with occupational stress led to the reduction of stress in the flight crew. The analysis of each occupational stress components showed that the training for coping with the occupational stress is effective for, Decision-making Power, job & time strain, role ambiguity, value deficiency, as well as social support from the manager and colleagues.
Conclusion: Thus, according to the effectiveness of the educational package for coping with occupational stress, it is recommended that this package be used in other airline companies and also by the psychologists and consultants who utilize occupational therapy for the occupational stress of the flight crew.
Mostafa Rahmiani-Iranshahi, Mohsen Aliabadi, R Rostam Golmohamadi, Alireza Soltanian, Mohammad Babamiri,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (4-2021)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Noise is known as an intruder in job environments and has non-hearing effects. The impact of noise on cognitive functions depends on the type of noise and the dose of noise exposure. This study aims to investigate the effect of noise exposure on cognitive functions and sleep quality.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 169 workers in three metal, chemical, and food industries in Hamedan in 1399. A continuous performance test was used to evaluate cognitive functions. The Petersburg questionnaire assessed participant's sleep quality. Using SVAN 971 analyzer and TES dosimeter, the level of noise exposure and the dominant frequency was measured. Data were also analyzed using linear and multiple regression in SPSS software (version 16).
Results: There is a significant difference in the level of noise exposure with changes in cognitive functions and sleep quality in the present study (P<0.001). The results of linear regression showed that there is a significant relationship between cognitive function and the level of exposure to sound (P<0.001). After identifying and determining the input variables, using multiple regression, an appropriate model was developed to predict sleep quality and sustained attention in the face of noise.
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, predictive models with the appropriate coefficient of determination can be good models for assessing the quality of sleep and attention of people in the face of noise, which can be implemented and measured in a shorter time.
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.
Nadere Seyedahmadi, Alireza Heidari, Parviz Askari,
Volume 11, Issue 1 (5-2023)
Abstract
Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the effect of stress inoculation treatment (SIT) on occupational stress, COVID anxiety, resilience, and sleep quality of healthcare workers.
Methods: The current study was conducted based on a pre-test-post-test design with the control group. The research community consisted of healthcare workers in Ahvaz, and the research participants included 40 cases who were selected by purposeful sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The research instruments were the COVID-19 anxiety scale, resilience scale, sleep quality scale, and job stress scale. The data were analyzed in SPSS software using univariate and multivariate covariance analysis.
Results: The results of the present study demonstrated F ratios of univariate analysis of covariance for sleep quality (F=304.08 and P<0.001), COVID anxiety (F=212.99 and P<0.001), resilience (F=152.37 and P<0.001) and job stress (F=124.59 and P<0.001).
Conclusion: Due to the effectiveness of stress inoculation training on the studied variables, this training seems necessary for the health and treatment staff.
Mohammad Babamiri, Ramin Rahmani, Rashid Heydari Moghadam, Mehraneh Shabani,
Volume 11, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
Objectives: In work environments, job stress is the main factor that can make employees lose control and provide the opportunity for the occurrence of aggression in employees. Therefore, this study investigated the role of the effort-reward imbalance model in the occurrence of bullying in the workplace.
Methods: This study was descriptive-analytical in nature. The research population consisted of employees of one of the petrochemical plants located in the south of the country. The samples (n=202) were selected using the census sampling method. In this research, two self-report questionnaires, namely the Effort-Reward Imbalance Scale and the Questionnaire of bullying actions, were used to measure the variables. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 18 software using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and linear regression.
Results: The mean scores of the participants’ age and work experience in this study were 40.13±9.32 and 15.9±9.50 years, respectively. Among the participants, 72.8% were female and 86.1% were married. In terms of educational status, 10.9% had an associate's degree, 81.2% had a bachelor's degree, and the rest had a master's degree or higher. About three-quarters of the participants were public service employees, and the rest were working on a contract basis. Based on the results of the multivariate regression model, among the variables investigated in this study, effort-reward imbalance and extreme commitment were able to significantly predict the changes in the bullying score (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Employees who feel imbalanced between inputs and outputs in the job, as well as those who have the characteristic of excessive responsibility, are more likely to display negative behaviors in the form of bullying in the workplace.
Ali Salmaninejaad, Maryam Hasani, Sahar Rezaian,
Volume 11, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
Objectives: Psychological load, such as workload, not only disrupts work performance but can also directly affect employee safety leadin to accidents. However, despite this issue, not much effort has been made to develop an assessment tool to measure the psychological burden related to the occupational safety and health of employees. Therefore, the present study was designed to validate the psychological burden scale of workers by Kim et al. (2018) from the perspective of occupational health and safety.
Methods: The statistical population of the research consisted of all the workers employed in the Eastern Alborz Company of Shahroud city, and 349 workers participated in the research using a simple random sampling method. In the present study, the mental load scale by Kim et al. (2018), the Copenhagen psychosocial scale (COPSOQ), and the occupational stress scale (HSE) were used. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient tests and confirmatory factor analysis using SPSS version 22 statistical software and Lisrel version 8.5.
Results: The results showed that all the components of workers' psychological burden including the overall score and the psychosocial scale and occupational stress scale have a positive and significant relationship. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis also indicated a good fit of the model in determining the factors in the initial form as proposed by Kim et al. (2018). To determine the reliability of the scale, the value of Pearson's correlation coefficient was obtained at 0.82 in the test and retest phases. Additionally, the results of this study showed that 26.1 percent of workers experienced low psychological burden, 49.6 percent experienced moderate psychological burden, and 24.4 percent experienced severe psychological burden.
Conclusion: Based on the results of the current research, the workers' mental burden scale (Kim et al., 2018) is a valid and reliable tool that can be used to evaluate the psychological burden of workers in research and intervention studies.
Moein Darestani, Leili Tapak, Mostafa Mirzaie Aliabadi, Neda Mahdavi,
Volume 11, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Objectives: Today we are witnessing tremendous growth in construction and the use of heavy machinery. As a significant portion of human errors is attributed to cognitive failures, there is a need for robust tools to assess these cognitive failures. Therefore, the primary goal of this study was to investigate the psychometrics of the current Occupational Cognitive Failures Questionnaire for Heavy Machinery Operators in Road and Urban Construction.
Methods: A total of 84 drivers of road and urban construction machinery were selected by simple random sampling method. Initially, job-related items for these people were selected for inclusion in the questionnaire, irrelevant items were removed, and proposed items were added. To assess structural validity, the tool was administered to 10 experts. Then, content validity ratios (CVR) and content validity indices (CVI) were determined for each of the items and evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis conducted in AMOS software (version 23). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to measure reliability. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 20).
Results: The final questionnaire comprised 16 items, with CVR and CVI leading to their inclusion in the final structure. The CVR of the questionnaire was 0.90. Additionally, the indices of the fitted model included CMIN/DF, TLI, CFI, IFI, GFI, AGFI, and RMSE, which were obtained at 1.16, 0.851, 0.88, 0.898, 0.86, 0.802, and 0.044, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated at 0.633.
Conclusion: The psychometrics of the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire demonstrated suitable validity and reliability for heavy machinery operators in road and urban construction. It can be effectively used for ergonomic evaluations.
Rasoul Hemmatjo, Abolfazl Ghahramani, Mansour Mahmood Aghbash,
Volume 12, Issue 4 (2-2025)
Abstract
Objectives: Numerous factors such as job types and conditions, work organizations, and individual characteristics affect work ability of the workers. Furthermore, occupational stress is not solely influenced by individual characteristics; a stressful work environment is also a significant source of stress. Noise has been recognized as one of the major occupational hazards that adversely affects work condition in many industries. In the present study, the association of noise exposure with occupational stress and work ability of the workers in a food processing plant was investigated.
Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was performed on 142 workers of a food processing plant in various work groups. The OSIPOW questionnaire results were utilized to measure occupational stress and the work ability of the workers was determined by Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire. Noise exposure of the workers was calculated as a measure of 8-hour time weighted average. The association between noise exposure and work ability was analyzed using Pearson and Spearman correlation tests. Multiple regression test was utilized to analyze the simultaneous effect of variables. Moreover, one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) was used to analyze the mean difference of independent variables.
Results: The findings demonstrated a significant positive association between noise exposure and stress level across various work groups (P<0.001). Furthermore, a significant negative relationship can be found between noise exposure and work ability of the workers (P<0.001). A simultaneous analysis of variables influencing occupational stress and WAI showed that noise had the most effect. Although occupational stress levels were not significantly different across working groups, mean difference of WAI was significant.
Conclusion: Based on the obtained findings, higher levels of noise exposure may contribute to increased occupational stress and decreased work ability among workers.
