Journal of Occupational Health and Epidemiology

72-82

Authors: P Agha Mohammad Hasani , MR Mokhtaree * , Z Asadollahi , MJ Fereidoni

Background: Social phobia is a pervasive and debilitating disorder, with relatively high prevalence, which is affected by different variables and influences many aspects of human life. This study was carried out with the aim to determine the relationship between social anxiety and personality dimensions among students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2013. Materials and Methods: The study population included all students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2013. The sample volume was estimated utilizing Cochran’s formula as 284 individuals. The participants were chosen through stratified random sampling method from among the statistical population. Participants answered the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) designed by Connor et al.‎, which evaluates social phobia and its components that are fear, avoidance, and physiological signs, and the NEO Personality ‎Inventory (NEO PI-R) which evaluates five personality traits. The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation, ANOVA, independent t-test, and multivariate regression. Results: The prevalence of social phobia among the subjects, except in mild cases, was 58.5%, of which, 19.4% suffered from severe social phobia and 10.2% from very severe social phobia. Among personality dimensions, neuroticism had a direct meaningful relation with social phobia and its aspects. In addition, extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, and conscientiousness were inversely associated with social phobia. The personality dimensions of neuroticism and openness to experience were effective predictors of social phobia. Conclusions: The results are indicative of the high prevalence of social phobia among medical students. They also suggest that social phobia and its dimensions have a direct meaningful relation with neuroticism personality dimension. Neuroticism and agreeableness personality dimensions had the necessary power to predict social phobia.

89-97

Authors: E Bateni , A Rabiei , A Ghanbarzadegan *

Background: For decades, it was suspected that diabetes contributed to poorer oral health and the increased frequency of periodontitis. More recently it was found that periodontitis could adversely affect glycemic control in diabetics. The aim of this study was to compare periodontal parameters with the metabolic sugar levels of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study the experimental group were individuals with the diagnosis of diabetes. The control group consisted of healthy individuals without any systemic condition that affected periodontal status. Periodontal parameters, body mass index, HbA1c level and duration of diabetes were measured and recorded. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Spearman’s correlation coefficient in a bivariate normal distribution. Results: Patients with diabetes had worse periodontal status compared with control group. On the other hand, both patients with diabetes type 1 and 2 showed higher plaque index, bleeding index and clinical attachment loss compared with healthy control group. There was no meaningful relation between HbA1c and periodontal indices. In type 2 diabetic individuals, there was a significant correlation between the number of missing teeth and the duration of their illness. Conclusions: Based on the evaluated parameters in this study, the experimental groups, (type 1 and 2 diabetics), experienced worse conditions than healthy control individuals with respect to their periodontal status. Deterioration of periodontal status is directly related to diabetes progression.

105-111

Authors: H Nadri , F Fasih Ramandi *

Background: Manual handling, lifting, or carrying of material is responsible for non-fatal injuries among employees in industries. It is the second most prevalent reported risk factor in workplaces that can lead to potential manual handling accidents and longer-term musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The aim of this study was the evaluation of manual material handling using the American National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ‎(NIOSH) equation in a tile and ceramic factory in Tehran, Iran, in 2016. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in a tile and ceramic factory in Tehran, Iran, in 2016. Three tile production lines (A, B, and C) were selected. On each line, cartons were lifted from a conveyor and placed onto a pallet. The task variable data were measured and recorded according to the NIOSH equation. Results: According to the results, composite-lifting index (CLI) value in all three lines exceeded 3 (3.34, 4.53, and 5.99, respectively, for lines C, B, and A). The values of frequency-independent recommended weight limit (FIRWL) and single-task recommended weight limit (STRWL) in all tasks were less than load weight. In addition, values of frequency-independent lifting index (FILI) and single-task lifting index (STLI) in all tasks exceeded 1.0. Conclusions: The results show that CLI value for these jobs exceeded 3, which means that a significant level of physical stress is associated with these jobs for nearly all workers. Both strength and endurance are a problem for many workers. Therefore, the first priorities of job redesign should be the decreasing of the physical demands through modifying the job layout, and decreasing the physiological demands through reducing the frequency rate or duration of continuous lifting.

121-128

Authors: SZ Tabatabaei *

Background: Ethical issues are essential components in any piece of research. In fact, they ought to be considered during designing, planning and conducting each research study particularly among the vulnerable. The aim of this paper is to describe and explain some of the ethical issues and challenges faced by a researcher who carried out a research in three Malaysian residential homes. Materials and Methods: This paper describes the challenges experienced by a researcher during two pilot studies and a main ethnographic study in three Malaysian residential homes. For this, relevant literatures were explored as well. Results: This manuscript is divided into three sections. First, it provides the key definitions. Second, it describes the ethical issues before entering the fields work. And third, it elaborates on the ethical considerations when researcher was making observations and writing field notes, and when the elderly participants were interviewed. Conclusions: Better understanding of ethical considerations can help researchers to better handle their research and avoid harming others.