Iranian Journal of Ergonomics

Introduction: Creating an appropriate and efficient workplace environment is a fundamental part of businesses in the modern world. The proper design of interior spaces and exterior facades in workplaces invigorates the workforce and reduces the risk of depression for them, while also improving the quality of their work and the attraction of customers.

 Nevertheless, architects tend to design workplace environments solely based on personal taste and emotional preferences. The present study designed a branch of Bank Maskan in Sari, Iran, by using efficient scientific methods and with a focus on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of design.

Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted to design a workplace environment using the Kansei engineering method. It used the facade openings of a branch of Maskan Bank in Sari as its case study and extracted the users' preferences using the Kansei method in order to find physical patterns for designing facade openings based on scientific analysis of the data obtained. The researcher examined the dominant emotional preferences using the Kansei engineering method and had 200 individuals selected from the sample population fill out a questionnaire that was scored using Semantic Differential (SD) and based on a 7-point Likert scale. The data obtained were analyzed in SPSS-16 using a test for mean and the Pearson correlation test.

Findings: The findings of the present study confirmed the significant relationship between the quantitative (the type of openings) and qualitative (Kansei terms) characteristics of design using the Kansei engineering method and also showed that arched openings, with attributes of religiosity such as “loyal”, “trustworthy” and “moderate” (with correlation values of 0.6, 0.6 and 0.63, in respective order), and rectangular openings with vertical elongation, with attributes of economics and banking such as “stability” (with the correlation value of 0.62), have obtained the highest degree of correlation.

Conclusion: Given the positive effects of physical patterns, and as traditional arched openings imply attributes such as religiosity while rectangular openings with vertical elongation imply positive economics and banking attributes, these openings were deemed suitable for designing the facade of the examined branch of Maskan Bank in Sari.

Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are the most common occupational health problems, reported with high costs and loss of productivity in nurses. On one hand, the quality of life is a multidimensional concept that affects factors such as physical and psychological ones. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between WMSDs and quality of life in nurses.

Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 940 nursing staff in Hospitals of Sari, Iran. The samples were selected by census sampling method. Data were gathered using particular questionnaires of musculoskeletal disorders (Nordic) and quality of life (SF-36). Collected data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test and Pearson's correlation using SPSS software (version 18).

Results: The results showed that low back disorder with prevalence of 60.9% was the most prevalent disorder among nurses. All aspects of quality of life, except for social functioning, were significantly correlated with WMSDs (P<0.05). In addition, there was a statistically significant relationship in age, gender and education level with WMSDs as well as in gender and work with quality of life (P<0.05).

Conclusions: According to this study, the prevalence of WMSDs was relatively high in nurses. In the majority of nurses, moderate quality of life was observed. Therefore, any intervention to improve quality of life and prevent WMSDs should be focused on, to reduce the physical needs and psychological pressures.