Azam Maleki-Ghahfarokhi, Iman Dianat, Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi, Mohamad Parnianpour, Mahmood-Reza Azghani, Maryam Khosravifar, Sina Samadi,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (7-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: The comfort questionnaire for hand tools (CQH) is a subjective measure for exploring the starting points for improving hand tool design. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Farsi version of the CQH.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, which was conducted among 163 university students, the 17-question CQH was translated into Farsi with a translation back-translation procedure. Content validity was assessed by a panel of 10 experts. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was applied for determining construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were used for assessing internal consistency and test-retest reliability, respectively. Ceiling and floor effects were also estimated for evaluating the feasibility of the measure.
Results: The CQH showed good content validity. Content validity index (CVI) ranged from 0.80 to 1.00 and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) ranged 0.62-1.00. EFA led to extraction of two factors from the data. The first one was mostly related to functionality and physical interaction and the second one, was generally about adverse body effects. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.74 and test-retest reliability was 0.74 (95% CI = 0.58 to 0.86) which both were satisfactory. There were no (0%) ceiling and floor effects.
Conclusion: The Farsi version of CQH is an acceptable and useful instrument for evaluating hand tools comfort.
Siavash Etemadinezhad, Elahe Amouzadeh, Jamshid Yazdani Charati,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (7-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: Today, many hardware and software products, including office automation software, and web-based websites are used by employees, including professors and employees of different departments in offices. Websites are considered one of the main competitive advantages in any organization. This study aims to investigate the usability of the Integrated Research Automation System (SYAT): A Heuristic Evaluation.
Methods: The present study was a descriptive- cross- sectional study with a heuristic evaluation performed on the integrated research system software (SYAT) by 3 evaluators. They then evaluated the intensity of each of the ten options and scored from 0 to 4. After each problem was classified as one of the 10 branches of Nielsen's evaluation by the evaluators, similar problems were eliminated and the average scores and the severity of the deterioration of the problems were calculated.
Results: A total of 92 usability problems were identified in evaluating the usability of the web-based software (system) using the components provided by Nielsen. The majority of the issues were related to the detection instead of reminder with 16 problems (17.32%). The lowest number of problems was related to both compatibilities between the system and the real world, and the clarity of the system status with 6 cases (6.52%).
Conclusion: The usability assessment method is inexpensive and simple and the problems caused by websites and applications can be evaluated as feedback to improve them. The more accurate the needs of SYAT system users are, the more effective the system will be and the more satisfied the users will be.
Abdollah Vahedi, Iman Dianat,
Volume 10, Issue 2 (9-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: The challenges that have been raised today, such as changes in population structure, diverse workforce, mass production, and automation of production, indicate the need to review production systems. Classical ergonomic solutions are no longer suitable for carrying heavy loads and repetitive activities. By supporting workers to reduce physical and mental stress, human-centered assistant applications (HCAAs) should solve this problem. The technical problems of the exoskeleton have been investigated in many scientific studies, but its effect on the human user has not been paid much attention to. So, this study reviews the studies that have examined industrial exoskeletons from the ergonomic point of view
Methods: Papers concerning exoskeleton in ergonomic studies are reviewed using Scopus and PubMed databases. The selected papers were published in the reviewed journals from 2014 to 2021. Books, conference papers, and reports are not included in this study. In the present study, only official scientific journals in English are reviewed, and the references obtained from the search are screened by the title and abstract. The full text of the papers is checked if the abstract does not contain enough information. Those papers that met the inclusion criteria are listed in this review.
Results: Studies on ergonomic industrial exoskeletons account for a small share of studies on industrial exoskeletons. From 2012 to the time of conducting this study, 96 studies were found on industrial exoskeletons, of which 10.41% design or evaluate industrial exoskeletons from an ergonomic point of view. This is very small compared to the studies on exoskeleton conducted since 2012 and only about 0.4% of the studies.
Conclusion: The reviewed studies emphasize the facilitation of the successful use of exoskeletons in occupational structures by considering at least three dimensions (physical requirements, task performance, and usability), all of which can contribute to determining the potential efficiency of exoskeletons in the work environment. Due to the potential of this technology, more studies should be conducted in the future to cover some of the identified challenges and compare the exoskeleton design methods under more diverse and more realistic situations.
Zahrasadat Javadi Hoseini, Hamidreza Mokhtarinia, Mohsen Vahedi,
Volume 10, Issue 2 (9-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are multifactorial conditions that result in time loss, disability, and increased economical costs. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the role of the physical, environmental and psychosocial factors in the development of musculoskeletal disorders in workers in the production and assembly of auto parts in Qom city in 2021.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 211 participants through an inconvenience sampling method entered the study. The demographic characteristics of participants and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders were assessed by a self-report questionnaire and the Extended Nordic questionnaire, respectively. The mental workload was evaluated by the NASA-TLX index and the physical, environmental and psychosocial risk factors were evaluated by the Structured Multidisciplinary Work Evaluation Tool (SMET). The binary logistic regression method was used to show the role of the different risk factors in the development of MSDs.
Results: Participants had an average age of 33.9 years (SD = 6.9). The lifetime prevalence of MSDs was obtained at about 77.72% in at least one area of the body. The neck, back, and shoulder areas were the most common regions. Gender, smoking history, surgery history, age, past surgery history, and sports history were most effective in the development of MSDs. In addition, subscales of mental workload play a role in causing pain in the shoulders, upper back, back and knees. SMET subscales play an effective role in the neck (OR = 1.396), upper back (OR = 1.663), hip, and knee, wrist/hand, and ankle/foot pain.
Conclusion: According to the role of various factors in developing disorders, the physical, psychosocial, and environmental factors should be considered simultaneously in planning preventive programs and ergonomics interventions.
Omid Kalatpour, Rashid Heidarimoghadam, Iraj Mohammadfam, Maryam Farhadian, Mohammad Reza Tavakkol,
Volume 10, Issue 2 (9-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: Risk-taking is a personality trait which plays a part in the occurrence of work-related accidents. For this reason, people who are highly risk-taking whose decision might cause accident should not be employed in critical situations. The purpose of this survey was to design and verify the validity of the risk tolerance questionnaire, suitable for control room operators, through examining the event related potential (ERP).
Methods: At first, the questions were selected from reliable scientific resources based on the conceptual model. The questions of the initial questionnaire were selected based on face validity, and then the questionnaire was filled out by 178 control room operators. At the next step, the best questions of the questionnaire were extracted using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). In terms of reliability, 42 individuals of the study group refilled in the questionnaire again after three months as a test-retest. The ERPs were assessed using electroencephalography along with Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). The correlation coefficient calculated between the ERPs, and risky behaviors, and questionnaire scores.
Results: One factor and 13 questions were identified as the best questions regarding EFA. Cronbach's alpha was 0.91. The Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated between the questionnaire score and risk-taking behavior as well as between the questionnaire score and P300, which was 0.38 (P = 0.01, η2 = 0.70) and 0.63 (P = 0.01, η2 = 0.99), respectively.
Conclusion: The Operator control Room Risk-Taking (ORTQ) questionnaire consists of 13 questions which can be used as an appropriate tool to assess the risk-taking trait in control room operators and also for research purposes. This questionnaire has got three personality dimensions including risk-taking nature, impulsivity and venturesomeness.
Tayebe Sadat Mirmoeini, Reza Taghvaei, Kambiz Hamidi, Ali Asghari Sarem, Tohfeh Ghobadi Lamuki,
Volume 10, Issue 3 (12-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: The medical staff and health system employees are exposed to job burnout due to their continuous work in round-the-clock, sensitive and unusual jobs, and this condition causes an increase in the rate of employees leaving the service. Therefore, in recent years, the issue of resilience of human resources to deal with job burnout and the continuity of employees' activity in difficult and critical conditions has been taken into consideration. In this regard, the current research has been conducted with the aim of presenting a model of resilient human resource management in the country's health system.
Methods: The present research was conducted using the qualitative research method based on thematic analysis strategy. In this regard, 14 semi-structured interviews with the statistical population of the research, including professors, managers, human resources experts of the medical sciences universities in the 3rd region of the country's health system, using the chain sampling method (snowball) and based on The rule of theoretical saturation was performed. In the following, using the open, central and selective coding method in the analysis of the theme, the initial pattern of the research was obtained.
Results: The results of qualitative data analysis have led to the identification of 116 basic themes, 39 organizing themes and 13 inclusive themes in the form of a model with 4 dimensions of environmental factors, organizational factors, human resource management functions and its consequences. In the following, the validity and reliability of the research has been confirmed using the content validity ratio method and the Holsti method, respectively.
Conclusion: The effective implementation of the identified factors and their prioritization in order to optimize and resiliency of human resources management can be effective in improving work performance, increasing motivation and ultimately improving organizational resilience.
Zeinab Akhavan, Amirsaman Kheirkhah,
Volume 10, Issue 3 (12-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: Hospitals are one of the most important organizations in the country, and nurses are one of their main pillars with high workloads and stress, nurses are exposed to many injuries. Ergonomic load on nurses can be reduced by an optimal job rotation and shift scheduling plan. Although these two approaches have been proposed separately, in past research articles, they have not been considered at the same time.
Methods: In this article, a two-objective mathematical model is presented for simultaneous optimization of job rotation and shift scheduling of nurses. The first objective is to minimize the maximum ergonomic load and the second objective is to minimize the total mental-psychological load on nurses. The comprehensive criterion approach has been used to integrate the objectives and reach a single objective model. The proposed model has been used in a case study and the parameters of the model have been quantified using the Movement and Assistance of Hospital Patients (MAPO) index and the Nordic questionnaire as well as the Depression- Anxiety- Stress Scale )DASS( method.
Results: The program obtained from the mathematical model was compared with the program available in the studied hospital, which was done manually. The results showed a decrease in the ergonomic load of nurses in the new program compared to the existing situation.
Conclusion: Compared to the conventional method, the proposed integrated method can lead to a greater reduction of occupational injuries.
Hamed Yarmohammadi, Mahdi Jahangiri, Moslem Alimohammadlou, Fateme Rahmati,
Volume 10, Issue 3 (12-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: Planning and scientific policy making is required for the investigation of scientific productions. Scientific productions are published through universities and research centers in the form of articles and research journals. Scientometric approaches are a tool to assess the performance of journals in different fields. The aim of the present study was to investigate the activity of ergonomics journal.
Methods: The current research was a practical objective with the descriptive data collection method, which was conducted with a scientometric approach. The research population consists of all the articles published in ergonomics journal during the years 1392 to 1401. Publish or Perish, Vosviewer and Excel software were used to collect and analyze data.
Results: A total of 296 articles from 724 authors have been published in Ergonomics journal during a 10-year period. The most articles published belonged to Hamadan, Shiraz, Tehran and Shahid Beheshti universities of medical sciences. The most effective authors in this journal were Rashid Heydari Moghadam (with 21 articles), Majid Motamedzadeh (with 20 articles), and Alireza Chubineh (with 15 articles). The most frequently used keywords were skeletal and muscular disorders with a frequency of 39, ergonomics 37 and anthropometrics 15.
Conclusion: According to the results, the number of citations of articles in this journal was at a low level. Therefore, it is suggested to increase the amount of international participation in order to index the journal in international citation databases and increase the citation rate of articles and the visibility of the journal.
Maryam Afshari, Mehdi Kangavari, Farogh Mohammadian, Shahnaz Maleki, Farideh Kazemi,
Volume 11, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
Objectives: Traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death among pregnant women. One of the investment for maternal and neonatal health is targeted interventions to increase maternal safety to prevent traffic accidents. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of identifying and categorizing different types of safety interventions to reduce traffic accidents among pregnant women.
Methods: The study was a systematic review. Intervention articles were searched from Persian databases, such as Magiran, Iran Medex and SID and English scientific information databases, such as PubMed, Cochrane, Sciencedirect, Embase, Science of Web and Scopus. All identified articles were collected by one person using Endnote software. The full text of the articles was then reviewed by two researchers and the articles that met the entry criteria were identified. Other articles were added to the previous collection of articles using Forward Citation and Backward Citation Reviews. The EPHPP instrument was used to assess the quality of the studies.
Results: The initial search resulted in finding 5329 article abstracts. Finally, two intervention studies were selected for evaluation in this study. One study used an educational/behavioral approach and the other used an engineering/approach. Both studies reported that they had produced significant changes in the desired outcome of seatbelt use in pregnant women. The quality of one study was rated as poor and the other as moderate.
Conclusion: Safety interventions to reduce traffic accidents among pregnant women have been tested only to a very limited extent worldwide. It seems that there is still much room for study in the field of safety interventions to reduce traffic accidents among pregnant women.
Ali Reza Soltanian,
Volume 11, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
Objectives: There is currently no consensus on transformation of the starting point of scoring on the Likert’s scale in questionnaires. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the transforming the starting point of scoring on the indices of central tendency, dispersion and the independent t-test.
Methods: The study employed inferential analysis to investigate the effects of transforming the origin of scoring, comparing the results through illustration. A 4-point Likert’s scale, starting with scoring zero and one, was utilized. The Independent t-test was used to compare the mean scores in two groups.
Results: The results of the study showed that transforming of the starting point of scoring from 1 to zero on Likert’s scale only leads to a difference in the value of the tendency to the center. However, dispersion indices and statistical statistics did not showed any difference in both scoring methods.
Conclusion: Changing the origin of scoring in the questionnaires, when total scores exhibit a normal distribution, has no impact on the independent t-test and standard deviation. The only significant affect includes difference on tendency to the center in two scoring systems.
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.
Hamed Yarmohammadi, Mehdi Jahangiri, Elham Arab Mokhtari,
Volume 11, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Objectives: A significant indicators of progress and development is the publication of books within any scientific domain. Ergonomics, a critical field associated with human and occupational health, contributes to enhancing productivity and the health level of employees. The present study aims to investigate the state of production and publication of ergonomics books in Iran.
Methods: The current study employed a descriptive approach and content analysis with a bibliometric perspective. The research population encompaased all ergonomics books registered on the National Library website. To access relevant books, searches were conducted without temporal limitations using keywords such as ergonomics, human factors engineering, and other related terms. The collected data were then entered into a pre-designed form in Excel software and, in the final stage, were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: In total, 313 book titles in the field of ergonomics have been published between the years 1989 to 2023, indicating an increasing trend in the publication of books in this area. The highest frequency was for authored books, accounting for 78.27 percent of the publications. Mohammad Amin Mououdi, Majid Motamedzadeh, and Alireza Choobineh were the most active authors in this field. The subject areas of ergonomics principles and application, occupational ergonomics, and human factors engineering had the highest frequency. Fanavaran publications held the highest rank among all publishers. In total, 38 book titles reached multiple editions.
Conclusion: The results of the current study signify an upward trend in book publication within the field of ergonomics in Iran. However, there is a need for more attention from authors in some specializations of this science, including occupational biomechanics, urban ergonomics, ergonomics in domestic settings, and ergonomics for children. Additionally, there is a notable lack of focus on the publication of electronic books in this scientific field. Therefore, to give more consideration to the advantages of electronic books and consider their publication.
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.
Abbas Mohammadi, Behzad Fouladi Dehaghi, Fatemeh Assadian, Saeed Ghanbari,
Volume 11, Issue 4 (1-2024)
Abstract
Objectives: Cargo workers at Ahvaz Airport in Ahvaz, Iran are at risk of musculoskeletal disorders. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate their carrying out tasks and postures.
Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, the census method was used to select 21 cargo workers in Ahvaz Airport. Task analysis was carried out by Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) and Quick Exposure Check (QEC). Moreover, the Manual Handling Assessment Charts were used to evaluate the manual load. The tools employed in this study included observation, photography, and a Cornell Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire (CMQD) questionnaire. Statistical calculations were performed in SPSS (version 16) and Spearman's correlation coefficient for the variables.
Results: Each of the cargo workers of Ahvaz airport moves an average of 400 bags per shift. Spearman's correlation coefficient showed a significant relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and the variables of age, height, and Body Mass Index with values of 0.002, 0.005, and 0.003, respectively. The QEC method was used to observe the worst postures with a numerical score between 50 and 70, which were related to the standing posture at the flat roller and the sitting posture in the aircraft cargo. The examination of the CMQD questionnaire revealed that 61.6%, 65%, and 62% of diseases were related to shoulder, arm, and back, respectively.
Conclusion: After job analysis by the HTA method and evaluation of the results through the QEC method, it was determined that loading and arranging luggage in the cart and cargo were the most risky tasks. Both the MAC and QEC methods also indicated the necessity of an immediate change in the process of moving luggage.
Teimour Allahyari, Ali Mahboubi,
Volume 12, Issue 1 (4-2024)
Abstract
Objectives: Nowadays, due to the increase in the volume of accidents, pre-hospital emergency personnel, as the frontline of treatment by providing relief and assistance to patients and victims of various incidents, have encountered various work-related challenges and problems, including cardiovascular diseases, digestive diseases, excessive fatigue, and reduced sleep quality. In this regard, the present research aimed to study the relationship among shift work, sleep quality, and work ability index in pre-hospital emergency personnel.
Methods: This research was performed on 102 operational personnel of a pre-hospital emergency department in Urmia, Iran. After the collection of demographic information, the number of work shifts per week, the number of working hours per month, the quality of sleep, and the work ability of the personnel were measured by the Petersburg sleep quality questionnaire and work ability index questionnaire. The relationship between research variables was investigated using correlation coefficient, Fisher's exact test, and one-way analysis of variance tests.
Results: Mean total sleep quality score of the personnel was 6.01 ± 2.38, which indicated poor and unfavorable sleep quality. Moreover, work ability index scores of 34.3%, 52%, and 13.7% of participants were at poor, moderate, good, and excellent levels, respectively. Regarding the comparison between the two variables of shift work and sleep quality, there was a significant difference, and a strong and significant relationship was observed between sleep quality and work ability index.
Conclusion: Through the increase in the number of work shifts and working hours, the sleep quality of the personnel became unfavorable and weak which led to a decrease in the work ability index score and a reduction in the job performance of the personnel. Reduction of working hours, usage of young people with high work ability, management and control of the number of work shifts of the personnel by considering resting and closure time, consideration of morning-evening and night shifts in a balanced and equal manner, and prevention of people from working in monotonous shifts (activity only in the form of night work or only day work), and avoidance of working in consecutive work shifts without rest and vacation in order to improve the quality of sleep and work performance is recommended.
Reza Ziyari, Parvin Afshar, Mahsan Afshar,
Volume 12, Issue 1 (4-2024)
Abstract
Objectives: It was expected the healthcare system would help to provide better services by taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the expansion of information and communication technology. In some cases, the efforts of service providers or users to increase their interests have resulted in the commercialization of health at the cost of effectiveness and personal well-being. The present study aimed to identify and analyze the impact of digital components of social media on the commercialization of health with the aim of improving ergonomics at macro and cognitive levels.
Methods: This applied research was conducted based on a descriptive cross-sectional design. The statistical population included 300 professors of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, out of whom 169 cases were selected by simple random method. The components were determined by the descriptive method. The questions were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis in SPSS software. The ranking of the components was performed using Friedman's method, and the final model was then presented.
Results: The digital components of social media in the commercialization of health include five parts(the health system, medicine, patient, insurance, and healthcare personnel) and 30 sub-components.
Conclusion: The digital components related to the health system have the most marked impact on the commercialization of health, highlighting the need to pay attention to the development of social media regulations in the health sector. Common strategies include controlling data availability, building coalitions among health stakeholders with compliance monitoring, using social responsibility laws for digital companies, and promoting self-regulation among stakeholders.
Madineh Mahmoodi, Behnaz Mohajeran, Hassan Ghalavandi,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (7-2024)
Abstract
Objectives: In contemporary times, educational institutions are instrumental in the development of societies, and universities in every country, along with their leaders, play a significant role in this domain. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the effect of spiritual leadership characteristics and social identity on cultural intelligence with an emphasis on the mediating role of social responsibility among the managers of Urmia University.
Methods: The research method was descriptive. The entire population of Urmia University managers (151 individuals) was included as the sample, given the limited population size. The data collection tools included the Cultural Intelligence Questionnaire (Early & Ang, 2004), Carroll's Social Responsibility Questionnaire (1991), Fry's spiritual leadership characteristics (2005), and Jenkins' social identity (1996). The validity of the instruments was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis and their reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The data were analyzed in SPSS (version 28) and LISREL (version 8.1) software packages using descriptive and inferential statistics (structural equation modeling).
Results: The research findings pointed to the significant positive impact of spiritual leadership characteristics on the cultural intelligence of Urmia University administrators. In addition, social identity had a meaningful positive effect on the cultural intelligence of these managers. Spiritual leadership characteristics also exerted a significant positive effect on the social responsibility of Urmia University administrators, as does social identity. Furthermore, social responsibility has a significant positive impact on the cultural intelligence of university managers. Notably, spiritual leadership characteristics, mediated by social responsibility, affected the cultural intelligence of Urmia University administrators. In a similar vein, social identity, through the mediation of social responsibility, affected the cultural intelligence of these managers.
Conclusion: The enhancement of spiritual leadership traits and social identity of Urmia University administrators, which in turn influence their cultural intelligence, can make it possible to improve the performance of the university. Furthermore, this enhancement is expected to increase employees' accountability.
Narges Eshaghi, Narmin Hassanzadeh-Rangi, Yahya Khosravi,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (7-2024)
Abstract
Objectives: Scientometrics is a research field that examines and analyzes scientific trends and patterns in various scientific journals. This study aims to analyze the content of articles published in the Journal of Applied Ergonomics in the last ten years and determine the distribution pattern of the articles according to the themes extracted.
Methods: Using the method of directed content analysis, the number of 2,148 articles published in the last 10 years were extracted from the "Journal of Applied Ergonomics" website and categorized according to the topic, the nationality of the authors, and the year of publication. For the topic categories of articles, the existing categories of published articles and the topic tree schema of the article submission website of selected international journals were used. EXCEL 2021 software was used for data preparation and analysis.
Results: Among the twenty-two extracted topics, three main topics, including "Physio-psychological Status and Occupational Factors," "Human-machine interaction, Human-computer interaction", and "Ergonomic product and service design" elucidated approximately 50% of the variance in published articles in this reputable journal under study. Among these, there was a particular emphasis on the topic of "Physio-psychological status and occupational factors." The subjects of "Physio-psychological status and occupational factors," "Human-machine interaction," and "Human-computer interaction" have had an upward trend in recent years. Moreover, authors from the United States of America, with 25.84% frequency, have contributed the most to the publication of articles in this Journal.
Conclusion: The thematic framework and distribution patterns extracted in this study can contribute to the educational and research planning in the field of professional health for universities, research centers, and relevant organizations. These findings can guide strategic decisions and support targeted efforts to advance ergonomic practices and the dissemination of knowledge within the field.
Roghayeh Esmaili, Ali Askari, Mohsen Poursadeghian,
Volume 12, Issue 3 (12-2024)
Abstract
Objectives: Various factors, including a lack of attention to the adaptation of educational spaces, can significantly impact the quality of education. Consequently, this study aims to comprehensively review and analyze all research conducted on school ergonomics in Iran.
Methods: A bilingual search was conducted in this study utilizing Persian keywords such as "Student," "Elementary, middle or high school," and "Physical, environmental, and general ergonomics," along with their Latin equivalents. This search was performed across databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, covering the period from the inception of research in Iran until 2024. Subsequently, articles relevant to the topic were collected and examined according to the established criteria.
Results: Among the identified articles, only 30 were recognized as relevant to the study's objectives, focusing on physical, environmental, and general ergonomics. A comparison of these studies revealed an upward trend in musculoskeletal disorders, with many of these issues linked to ergonomic problems in schools, including the mismatch between students' body dimensions and the desks and chairs used, as well as improper carrying of school bags.
Conclusion: The poor ergonomic conditions in Iranian schools have led to an increase in musculoskeletal disorders among students. It is vital to evaluate these schools based on ergonomic standards and implement necessary enhancements. Furthermore, it is important to raise students' awareness about proper task performance and appropriate backpack usage.
Karen Fatahi,
Volume 12, Issue 4 (2-2025)
Abstract
Objectives: The primary aim of this study is to examine the impact of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the air on thermal comfort, cognitive performance, and heart rate among healthcare workers while they engage in their duties within therapeutic environments. These settings are often characterized by high occupancy, inadequate ventilation, underground locations, limited natural light, and exposure to pollutants.
Methods: In this laboratory-based research, 20 employees from a specialized clinic were randomly assigned into two groups of ten. They were exposed to varying levels of CO2 at a controlled temperature of 25°C: one group experienced 1100 ppm with adequate ventilation, while the other was subjected to 1800 ppm without ventilation. Key parameters, such as heart rate, thermal comfort (assessed using the ASHRAE standard questionnaire), and cognitive performance (measured through the MOCA test) were recorded. The collected data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).
Results: The statistical analysis revealed significant effects of cognitive performance and CO2 levels (1800 ppm vs. 1100 ppm) on thermal comfort (F(1,15)=13.257, P<0.05 and F(1,15)=16.694, P<0.05). Furthermore, both the CO2 levels and the gender of participants significantly influenced the heart rate of healthcare workers in their work environments (F(1,15)=53.381, P<0.05 and F(1,15)=9.642, P<0.05). Specifically, individuals exposed to 1800 ppm of carbon dioxide reported a thermal dissatisfaction score that was 0.878 units higher and exhibited a heart rate that was 9.25 beats per minute greater compared to those exposed to 1100 ppm.
Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of continuous air quality monitoring in workplace settings. Such measures can enhance thermal comfort levels, improve cognitive performance, and mitigate health risks for healthcare workers engaged in their professional activities.
