Iranian Journal of Ergonomics

Improving the Literacy of Musculoskeletal Health in Students: Brief Policy

Homa Naderifar

Abstract: Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the three major disabling diseases in the world. However, the burden of disease in Iran is not yet well-known. Due to the high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in students, prevention and control policies should focus on students and health interventions should be carried out based on risk factors. Musculoskeletal problems impose significant economic costs on health and indirectly affect the productivity of people. Therefore, it is essential to provide new approaches aimed at maintaining and improving musculoskeletal health and preventing and managing diseases.

The Comparison of Immediate Effects of Mackenzie Exercise and Rest on Pain and Disability Index of Neck and Shoulder While Typing with A Smart Phone

Mehrdad Anbarian

Objectives: Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders among smartphone users. The purpose of the present study was to compare the immediate effects of rest and McKenzie exercise on pain level and disability index among individuals who complained of pain and discomfort in the neck after using a smartphone.
Methods: Ten males and 14 females with an average age of 25.71 years, who complained of pain and discomfort in the neck after using a smartphone, participated in this clinical trial study. During two consecutive days, they received conservative interventions including rest and Mackenzie exercise. The duration of each intervention was one session. The level of pain and disability was measured with the visual analog scale (VAS) and the neck disability index questionnaire before starting the treatment (immediately after using the smartphone), and after performing rest interventions and McKenzie exercises. The data were analyzed by ANOVA with repeated measures (P < 0.05).
Results: Subjects reported lower levels of pain and disability following both intervention methods (rest and McKenzie exercise) compared to before the start of the treatment period. The Cohen's d effect size index showed the high effectiveness of Mckenzie's exercise compared to the resting condition on the level of pain and disability.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that McKenzie's exercise can more effectively decrease the amount of pain and disability in the neck and shoulder areas following the use of a smartphone compared to rest.

Investigating the Effect of Environmental Thermal Comfort Components on Students' Cognitive Performance based on the Analysis of Fatigue Factor (Study Sample of Architecture Students of Universities in Ilam)

Mojtaba Noorllahi

Objectives: Human-made environments can have negative and positive effects on the planet. One of the two-faceted artifacts is the construction of buildings for people's lives, buildings that are being built irregularly and quickly and lead to excessive consumption of fossil resources and energy waste. Become Therefore, one of the most important things in the design of a building is providing its thermal comfort; Comfort that has a direct effect on the cognitive function of humans. In this research, in addition to the topic of thermal comfort, we also discuss fatigue in the classroom, which is one of the factors influencing the cognitive performance of the students.
Methods: In this research, the cognitive performance of people were examined and compared in the range of thermal comfort and the suggested range of the Ashri standard. To investigate their performance in different temperature ranges, 220 architecture students of Ilam universities were selected by systematic random sampling method. The state of thermal comfort, cognitive functions, and fatigue of people was evaluated after measuring environmental factors through questionnaires and standard cognitive function software.
Results: In addition to thermal comfort, which has a direct relationship with the cognitive performance of students, the passage of time is not an exception to this rule, in other words, the cognitive performance of students is derived from thermal comfort and the passage of time, which has a direct effect on academic, mental productivity. and also their practical efficiency. After examining the data in this regard, we reached meaningful results that indicate the highest efficiency of the students in the conditions of proper thermal comfort and the first 60 minutes of the start of their performance.
Conclusion: The results of this research show that even if the thermal comfort of the students' classrooms is provided according to the ASHERI standard, the students' cognitive performance will decrease after 60 minutes from the start of the class.

Determining the Effect of Ergonomic Principles of the Work Environment on the Burnout of Employees of Ilam Petrochemical Company with the Role of Safety Culture Moderator

Mohammad Reza Omidi

Objectives: Considering the role of human resources in every organization, it is very important to address issues that lead to the reduction of occupational injuries in the workplace, it is clear that preventing the occurrence of job burnout in improving people's mental health. It plays an important role. One of the topics that can be useful in reducing job burnout is the application of ergonomic knowledge and compliance with safety principles, which is the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of workplace ergonomic principles on job burnout with the moderating role of safety culture.
Methods: The current research is descriptive survey research, the statistical population of this research is all the employees of Ilam Petrochemical Company, which was obtained by using the Cochran formula, and the sample size is equal to 310 people; The main tools for collecting information in this research include demographic profile questionnaires, ergonomic principles, job burnout, and safety culture. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the professors using face and content validity methods, and the reliability was also confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. In this research, structural equations based on path analysis in SMART PLS software were used to analyze and test research hypotheses.
Results: The impact of ergonomic principles on the burnout of Ilam Petrochemical employees is negative and significant with coefficients (T = 12.26, R2 = -0.42), and the cultural impact of safety on burnout is also negative and significant with coefficients
(T = 14.07, R2 = -0.32). is, the test of the main hypothesis shows that safety culture moderates the effect of ergonomic principles on job burnout and causes more reduction of job burnout.
Conclusion: Compliance with the principles of ergonomics in the work environment and the existence of a safety culture in Ilam Petrochemical will reduce job burnout.

Effectiveness Assessment of Multifaceted Long-Term Ergonomics Interventions in an Automotive Company

Seifollah Gharib

Objectives: Effectiveness assessment of multifaceted long-term ergonomics interventions in an automotive company Introduction: Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders requires evaluation and improvement of work situations using ergonomic posture assessment methods. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of multifaceted and long-term ergonomic interventions in a developing automobile manufacturing company using the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) method.
Methods: A long-term multifaceted intervention study was conducted on 70 office employees of an automotive engineering service company in three stages from 2016 to 2022. Interventions were carried out according to the scores obtained in the sub-areas of the ROSA method including chair, mouse and keyboard, telephone, and monitor. The interventions included technical-engineering and educational interventions. Finally, descriptive statistics and paired t-tests, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data.
Results: The average score of ROSA in 2016 was 5.9 with a standard deviation of 0.66, while the average score of ROSA in 2022 was 3.85 with a standard deviation of 1.19. There was a statistically significant difference between the final score of ROSA in 2016 and 2022 (P < 0.001). Statistical tests showed that only the technical-engineering intervention had a significant effect on the ROSA final score.
Conclusion: The results of the present study have shown a favorable reduction in the final risk level of the physical condition of the employees during work due to the improvement of the physical condition as a result of the technical-engineering intervention along with the educational intervention in accordance with the components of the ROSA method.

Effect of The Prevalence of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Musculoskeletal Disorders Students of Meybod University

Abbasali Jafari Nodoushan

Objectives: COVID-19 virus pandemic and quarantine implementation have different effects on students' psychological aspects and musculoskeletal disorders. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 virus on musculoskeletal disorders and the mental health of Meybod University students.
Methods: For this purpose, a random sample of 350 students of Meybod University was selected in 2021. Data were collected based on three questionnaires Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders, Mental Health, and Corona Disease Anxiety Scale. The Logistic regression and Chi-square test.
Results: The results showed that the anxiety caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has a significant effect on students' mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has also caused musculoskeletal disorders in most parts of the student body. The grade, exercise, daily sports, and the number of people infected with the virus are the variables that significantly affect organ disorders and the mental health of students in this condition.
Conclusion: Due to the importance of students' physical and mental health, it is necessary to plan students' classrooms properly. Also, with virus outbreaks and the need to comply with restrictions, planning for sports and simple stretching exercises can reduce disorders and increase students' vitality.

The Effect of Active Personality on Job Adaptation with the Role of Mediator of Flourishing in the Work of Employees

Hamideh Abbasi

Objectives: Proactive personalities, which refer to a person's ability with active behaviors to affect meaningful changes in the environment, are an important factor that affects the formation of job adaptability. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of active personality on job adaptation with the role of mediator of flourishing at work.
Methods: The research has been a descriptive-analytical survey in terms of practical purpose and terms of data collection. The method of collection was using a questionnaire. In the current research, the standard questionnaire measuring flourishing at work, job adaptability, and active personalities have been used. The statistical population studied was all the employees of the Jundishapur University of Ahvaz, numbering 500 people. According to Morgan's table, the sample size is calculated as 271 people. In this research, the reliability of Cronbach's alpha method and the validity of the method has been confirmed through face validity. The method of analysis, description, and inference has been. IMOS software was used to test the hypotheses.
Results: The findings show that active personalities are effective for a job with a mediating role of flourishing at work. The effect of flourishing at work on job adjustment, the effect of active personality on job adjustment, and the effect of active personality on flourishing in the workplace have been confirmed.
Conclusion: The results show what personalities make people progress in the workplace, which in turn improves job adaptability. It is recommended that career counselors design interventions to promote career adjustment.

Investigating the Anthropometric Fit of Scientific-Research Laboratory Technicians with Their Workstations: A Case Study in Hamedan University of Medical Sciences

Neda Mahdavi

Objectives: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) induced by work are common in laboratory jobs. One of the most important reasons for disorders is the lack of personal fit with a workstation. This study aims to evaluate the body posture of experts in scientific-research labs and explore their anthropometric fitness with workstations on the campus of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences in 2022.
Methods: To investigate the MSD prevalence associated with the work, it was used the Nordic questionnaire and, for evaluating the posture, the Novel Ergonomic Postural Assessment (NERPA) technique. Then, to check the compatibility of laboratory personnel with the workstations, some interventions were proposed to improve them.
Results: According to the findings, the highest amount of prevalence of pain over the past year was in the neck area, 68.7%, and waist area, 59.37%, respectively. To assess the body posture using the NERPA technique, the middle level of corrective actions as well as more research was required. Also, the highest score of the risk, i.e. 40.62%, was allowed to the neck. In most activities, there was not any match between the dimensions of the personal body and the workstation.
Conclusion: The results indicated that the prevalence of MSD symptoms is high among the experts in research laboratories, and the risk levels of ergonomic assessment are in the middle. It seems that the lack of anthropometric matches with the workstation generally has led to adverse work posture and thus, the prevalence of MSD disorders. So, providing anthropometric matches between people who work in research laboratories and their workstations is essential to reducing these disorders.