Journal of Occupational Health and Epidemiology

62-71

Authors: R Rahimpoor , AR Bahrami * , MJ Assari , F Ghorbani , AR Negahban , S Rahimnejad , B Mehdizadegan

Background: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including carcinogens and toxic compounds, are produced in petrochemical industries. We undertook this study in order to study workers’ respiratory exposure to different VOC concentrations and compare the results with the urinary levels of its metabolites and study the correlation between them in petrochemical industries. Materials and Methods: Exposure to benzene, toluene, xylene isomers, phenol, and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) was evaluated in 104 male subjects using personal sampling pump and charcoal sorbent tube at the breathing zone and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The urine samples were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Results: The mean concentration of urinary trans,trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA), was 1431 µg/g creatinine and hippuric acid, methyl hippuric acid, phenol, and MEK were, 0.394, 0.444, 0.098 g/g creatinine, and 0.15 mg/l. The mean concentration of benzene in the breathing zone was greater than the threshold limit value (TLV) recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Conclusions: In this study, a more significant relationship was found between benzene in breathing zone and urinary t,t-MA in those exposed to benzene in concentrations higher than 1 ppm (r2 = 0.89) than lower than 1 ppm. Moreover, the same results were observed for other hydrocarbons and their level of urinary biological index. A more significant relationship was observed between phenol in breathing zone and urine through exposure to airborne phenol in concentrations of higher than 0.049 ppm than lower than 0.049 ppm (r2 = 0.75). The relationship between MEK in breathing zone and urinary MEK was more significant in concentrations of higher than 0.1 ppm (r2 = 0.79) than lower than 0.1 ppm.

81-87

Authors: P Khalili , R Vazirinejad * , A Jamalizadeh , P Nakhaee , F Fatehi , A Fallah

Background: Due to increasing life expectancy and declining fertility rates, the population over the age of 60 in developed and developing countries is increasing. This matter draws attention toward the improvement of the health of the elderly and consideration of the health and treatment needs of this important group of human society. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of integrated care and educational interventions of a healthy lifestyle on the quality of life (QOL) of the elderly. Materials and Methods: This semi-empirical study was conducted on 180 elderly patients admitted to the health centers in Rafsanjan, Iran. Multistage sampling was performed in the health centers of the city and the suburbs. The subjects were divided into two groups of intervention (n = 90) and control (n = 90). The intervention group was under the program of healthy lifestyle education for a period of 6 months. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The quiestionnaires were completed through interviews during two time intervals of before and after the intervention. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Results: The mean ages of subjects in the intervention and control groups were 71.8 ± 2.3 and 66.4 ± 2.3, respectively. The mean QOL scores of subjects in the intervention and control groups before the intervention were 56.05 ± 2.17 and 61.39 ± 1.46 (out of 100), and after the intervention were 62.11 ± 3.03 and 56.9 ± 1.59, respectively. The statistical comparison showed that the QOL score of the intervention group after the intervention was significantly higher than before the intervention (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results of this study showed an increase in QOL of the elderly after the intervention compared to before the intervention. Therefore, by educating the elderly as groups and individuals about adopting a healthy lifestyle and by implementing healthcare, their QOL can be promoted.

96-103

Authors: SA Afroghi , R Mirzaei * , M Nasrabadi

Background: One of the necessities of industrial societies is the application of developed measures/strategies for the prevention of occupational incidents in industrial companies. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the role of the safety management system on safety culture of an oil and gas exploration and production company. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 240 participants, chosen through simple random sampling, based on the research goals, statistical society size, and the Krejcie and Morgan table. For data collection, the Safety Management System Questionnaire, with a Cronbach’s α of 0.96, and the Safety Culture Questionnaire, with a Cronbach’sα of 0.91, were utilized after determining their validity. The gathered data were analyzed using SPSS and LISREL softwares. Results: First level confirmatory factor analysis was performed with the use of LISREL package on 5 factors of encouraging/motivating employees to observe safety tips, educating employees on safety tips, safety policies in organizations, safety control in organizations, and urgent planning in organizations. The results showed that all the indices on obtained values were very desirable. In addition, the results of this research indicated that there was a statistically positive, meaningful relationship between the variable of safety management system and its components (i.e., safety policies, employees’ motivators, safety education, urgent prevention plans, and internal control), and safety culture (P<0.01). High education levels of the employees had meaningful impacts on the safety management system (P<0.01).However, there was no statistically significant relationship between the education level and occupational background of the employees and the company’s safety culture (P>0.05). Conclusions: The results of the present paper proved that the safety management system and its components play an important role in the development of the safety culture of an oil company. Therefore, notifying the related authorities of this fact in order to establish a safety management system is a vital issue.

112-116

Authors: M Askarishahi , H Malaki Moghadam * , H Fallahzade , MH Lotfi , M Afkhami-Ardekani

Background: Determining the mortality rate of diseases in a community is one of the main components in health care planning of that community. This study used a join point regression model to determine the trend of mortality due to diabetes mellitus (DM) in Iran. Materials and Methods: The data on the rate of mortality due to DM were obtained from the reports of the Iranian Ministry of Health. The variation in the trend of mortality due to DM over the past eight years was analyzed using the join point regression model. For the evaluation of the regression parameters, the permutation test and least square method were applied. Data analysis was performed using the JOINPOINT statistical software. Results: The number of deaths due to DM has increased from 3047 cases per 100,000 people in 2003 to 5838 cases per 100,000 in 2010. A variation point was observed in 2007 with a P-value of 0.06 and 4500 permutations. The annual percentage change (APC) of the rate of mortality due to DM for the first period (2003-2007) was 6.6% with a confidence interval of -3-17.2 and for the second period (2007-2010) was 1.8% with a confidence interval of -12.4-18.2. APC was 4.6% in men with the confidence interval of 2.4-6.9 and 4.5% in women with the confidence interval of 2-7. Conclusions: The rate of mortality due to DM in Iran has increased during this 8-year period. The rate of mortality due to DM increased with a steep slope from 2003 to 2007 and with a gentle slope from 2007 to 2010.

1-6

Authors: SM Alavinia , M Yaghubi , R Rajabzadeh , SH Seyed Sharifi *

Background: Animal bite is an important and preventable health hazard. This study aimed to determine the epidemiology of animal bites in North Khorasan Province in Iran. Materials and Methods: Data gathered from health centers from March 2005 until December 2011 were used for this cross-sectional descriptive study of animal bites. Results: A total of 18,517 animal bite cases were reported during the study period. The victims were predominantly male (66%). The most affected persons were residents in rural areas (80.7%). Most victims had been bitten by dogs (90.5%). The number of patients with incomplete vaccinations was 16,232 (88.1%) compared to 2,185 (11.9%) completely vaccinated patients. The highest rate of animal bite cases was reported from Bojnurd County, Iran. The incidence of animal bites in North Khorasan increased from 255.05 per 100,000 in 2005 to 365.18 per 100,000 in 2011. Conclusions: Since the incidence of animal bites has increased in recent years, the dog population should be controlled and domesticated animals should be vaccinated. Education about animal bite prevention is an important strategy for preventing this problem and, consequently, rabies.

17-25

Authors: MH Beheshti , R Hajizadeh * , E Khodaparast , R Shojaei , E Ranjbar

Background: The lack of satisfaction and balance between the workload and abilities and limitations of individuals in various occupations may influence their general health. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of workload and job satisfaction on the general health of industrial workers. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional and correlational study on 215 workers of a Chinese manufacturing industry in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran. Data were collected using the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software and through computing the Pearson and Spearman’s correlation coefficients and step-wise regression. Results: The general health score of 60% of women and 45.1% of men was greater than the cut-off score of 21 as a determinant of health and non-health. In addition, 80.6% of men and 74.8% of women had social problems. The overall workload of 26.53% of men and 23.7% of women was over 70 (high workload) and the workload of 69.38% of men and 69.23% of women was between 40 and 70 (intermediate). Based on these result, the average job satisfaction score is moderate and 60.2% of men and women have shown moderate satisfaction. The result of correlation test showed no statistically significant correlation between workload and job satisfaction and general health (P > 0.05). Moreover, no significant relationship was observed between job satisfaction and general health (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that authorities should pay special attention to the general health of industrial workers, especially with respect to social disorders. In addition, given the direct relationship between some subscales of workload and job satisfaction, and general health, further studies are needed to identify these factors.

32-36

Authors: SH Yousefzade , J Pilafkan , L Rouhi Balasi * , M Hosseinpour , N Khodadady

Background: Mental disorders in patients with chronic medical disorders are associated with, performance degradation, poor quality of life, lack of cooperation with treatment and inappropriate use of medical services, and increased costs. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of mental disorders in the general population referring to an educational medical hospital in Rasht, Iran, in 2013. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1725 patients who referred to a medical educational center in Rasht were selected using convenience sampling method. Data were collected through clinical interviews and using inpatients' psychological condition analysis form. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Results showed that the prevalence of mental disorders in this population was 48.6%. The statistical test results showed age (P < 0.0001), marital status (P < 0.0001), occupation, history of substance abuse (P < 0.0001), psychiatric history (P < 0.0001), and a history of suicide attempt (P < 0.001) had significant relationships with presence of mental disorders. Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of mental disorders in this community, it is recommended that consultation and therapeutic services be provided in health centers for patients' health.

45-50

Authors: H Hashemi , A Khodabakhshi , M Sepasian *

Background: Due to annual increases in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in different regions of Iran and the resulting health problems and high economic costs, this study was performed with the aim to determine the prevalence of CL in Dezful city, Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was performed on all patients who were directly referred to clinics and clinical laboratories of Dezful city during 2004-2011. Age, sex, occupation, and area of residence of the patients were recorded. Biopsy was conducted on patients who had suspicious lesions. The biopsy was evaluated by a parasitologist using Giemsa staining, and then, light microscopy. Results: The number of CL cases was 1192, among which 64% were men and 36% were women. Among them, 592 people lived in rural areas and 600 people lived in urban areas. Most cases of disease were in the age group of 20-29 years (35%). The maximum prevalence of disease was observed in 2008. Most cases of the disease were in the military occupational group with a frequency of 366 cases. Furthermore, most cases occured in the months of November and December. Conclusions: Considering the prevalence of CL in the study area in different years, it is necessary to take effective and comprehensive public health measures to control and prevent the spread of this disease.

146-156

Authors: A Ashrafi-Asgarabad , M Samareh-Fekri , N Khanjani , MR Ghotbi Ravandi *

Background: Exposure to respirable particulate matter containing silica in the working environment can lead to respiratory diseases and other health hazards. The current study was designed to estimate the prevalence of lung diseases and their determining factors in the stone carvers of Kerman, Iran. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 67 male workers exposed to stone carving dust and 67 unexposed workers who were matched in regard to different characteristics were evaluated. Questionnaires were completed by the participants and chest radiography and spirometry were perfomed for each participant. Different outcomes were compared between the exposed and unexposed groups and also subgroups of the exposed. Data were analyzed using chi-square, t-test, Pearson's correlation, and logistic regression through SPSS 16 and STATA 12 software. Results: The mean annual cumulative exposure to respirable dust was 3.8 mg/m3, which was higher than the permissible limit. Symptoms, such as frequent coughs, wheezing, dyspnea, rhinorrhea, sinusitis, and hyposmia, were more prevalent in the exposed workers. Some pulmonary function parameters had decreased significantly in the exposed workers. Some factors related to working conditions, such as working in confined environments, small workshops, not using appropriate masks, increased daily working hours, and increase in working days, were significantly associated with exacerbation of respiratory symptoms. Conclusions: Despite the strong presence of the healthy worker effect, our study shows that high occupational exposure to particulate dust has led to respiratory symptoms, radiographic abnormalities, and decreased lung function in stone carvers of Kerman. This study urges more surveillance and control over works exposed to dust in developing countries.

165-173

Authors: F Kiani * , A Borjali , K Farhbakhsh , N Farokhi

Background: An important factor in the prevention of industrial accidents is the ability of employees to maintain awareness of the work situation, understand the information it holds, and predict how situations will develop. In the present study, we examined the role of fatalistic beliefs and safety climate in predicting occupational situation awareness (SA) among workers. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 180 employees of one petrochemical industry in Asaluyeh, Iran, in 2014. Subjects were selected using the stratified random sampling method and responded to questionnaires about demographic characteristics, occupational SA (Sneddon et al.), fatalistic beliefs (Williamson et al.), and safety climate (Hayes et al.). The data were analyzed using correlation techniques and stepwise regression. Results: The results showed internal correlation among fatalistic beliefs, safety climate, and occupational SA. Moreover, the results of stepwise regression analysis revealed that fatalistic beliefs and safety climate significantly predicted, respectively, almost 18% and 20% of variances of occupational SA among workers. Conclusions: According to the findings of the present study, fatalistic beliefs and safety climate can predict occupational SA. Therefore, considering these variables can be important in promoting the awareness of work situation among workers.

183-187

Authors: J Vatani * , H Ghasemzadeh , M Raei

Background: Farmers and welders who work in open spaces and are exposed to direct sunlight are often exposed to sunlight radiation on the neck and head. Thus, they may be afflicted with various types of skin cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the amount of UV exposure in welders working in Shahrud City, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical study was conducted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in indoor environments on all welders working in Shahrud City (n = 50) in 2014. An ultraviolet radiation (UVR) meter was used to measure UVR and the instrument was calibrated and utilized using factory instructions. Moreover, All data obtained through the demographic checklist and self-reporting, and information related to UVR exposure were entered into SPSS software and analyzed. Results: The results showed that average UVR exposure with personal protection was 0.27 ± 1.15 , average UVR exposure without personal protection was 4.14 ± 1.69 . In addition, skin radiation exposure amount was 2.55 ± 1.54 . There was no significant statistical relationship between presence of disease, and radiation expsoure with or without protection euqipment and on the skin of welders (P > 0.05). Conclusions: This study indicated that UVR is among the main harmful factors in occupational environments. Welders are vulnerable to skin and eye disease due to UVR exposure. UV exposure in welders working in Shahrud City is below the threshold value; therefore, it can cause injury and damage to the welders. Furthermore, insurance status, daily radiation exposure amount, received radiation exposure amount, and use of protection equipment had no significant relationship with incidence of disease in welders.

195-202

Authors: H Nadri , F Fasih , F Nadri * , A Nadri

Background: The aim of this paper was the comparison of ergonomic risk assessment results (final score and action levels) for the entire body as determined using Quick Exposure Check (QEC) and Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which all 82 workers engaged in various processes with different activities in an anodizing and aluminum profiles producing industry in Tehran, Iran, were studied. The REBA and QEC ergonomic risk assessment techniques and Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) were used in order to assess the correlation between results of the two methods and evaluate the correlation between the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and the results of these two methods. Results: Studied postures, using QEC and REBA assessment methods, acquired the risk levels, respectively, of low risk = 10.9%, moderate risk = 25.5%, and high/very high risk = 63.6% in QEC. They obtained the risk levels of low risk = 56.3%, moderate risk = 40%, and high/very high risk = 12.7%, respectively, in REBA. The kappa (0.12) and gamma scores (0.51) showed no agreement between the outputs of the two tools. No significant correlation (P > 0.05) was found between final scores of these two methods and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusions: These results indicate that the risk assessment outcomes of these two ergonomic assessment tools for the entire body do not agree. Thus, there is no possibility of applying them interchangeably for postural risk assessment, at least not in this industry.

82-92

Authors: S Maulik * , R Iqbal

Background: Musculoskeletal diseases are quite common among healthcare professionals including medical laboratory technicians. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and ergonomic risk factors in Indian medical laboratory technicians. Materials and Methods: The study sample comprised of 130 male and female laboratory technicians from the Indian healthcare industry. Samples were selected based on convenient random sampling. Data was collected using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and Quick Exposure Checklist (QEC) to evaluate the ergonomic risk factors present in Indian medical laboratories. Statistical tools applied in the present study include frequencies, percentage, mean and standard deviations, independent t-test, and chi-square test. Results: Results indicated that the major percentage of technicians (66.9%) had suffered from some kind of musculoskeletal symptoms during the last 12 months. The highest prevalence was reported in the back (44%), knees (20.7%), and neck region (18.4%). This indicated that musculoskeletal problems are prevalent among Indian medical laboratory technicians. The results showed that the levels of exposure to musculoskeletal risks were high or very high among 85.3% of technicians. The statistical analysis showed an insignificant association between the level of risk factors and the prevalence of musculoskeletal issues (P>0.05). The most common risk factors found to be awkward postures, prolonged standing, inappropriate workstation arrangement. Conclusions: Ergonomic interventions in terms of reducing risk factors, improving workstation design, eliminating awkward postures, and providing some physical training to improve upon their musculoskeletal fitness level are recommended.

99-106

Authors: B Hassanlouei , M Rezaeian , M Sheikh-Fathollahi , R Vazirinejad *

Background: Changes in global temperature and its health effects have recently been under much investigated. Consequently, these changes have affected mortality and morbidity rates which are important public health indices. The present study examines the effect of mean temperature on the frequency of hospitalization due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Ali Ibn Abi Talib Hospital of Rafsanjan, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this ecological study, data on hospitalization were gathered from electronic systems of hospitals and the data from the weather organizations were extracted from the weather station. All patients not living in Rafsanjan were excluded. Data were entered into SPSS and SAS software and the association between mean temperature and hospitalization frequency were analyzed using Poisson regression models. Results: A negative significant association was found between mean temperature and mean number of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. By each 1 °C decrease in mean temperature, the mean number of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases increased by 1% (95% CI; 0.63-1.26%) and 4.33% (95% CI; 4-4.64%), respectively. For cardiovascular diseases, there was no significant difference in mean number of admissions based on different age groups. However, in the 0-4-year age group, the mean number of hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases was significantly higher than the other age groups. For both cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, there was no significant difference between females and males in terms of the mean number of hospitalizations. Conclusions: Reduction in mean temperature, in the present study, increased the mean number of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and it was stronger for respiratory diseases. According to these findings, people who are at risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases should be forbidden from exposure to extremely cold temperatures.

114-120

Authors: M Moradinazar * , F Najafi , J Hassanzadeh

Background: This study attempted to investigate traffic accident fatalities during 2004-2009 and the effect of fuel rationing on traffic accident fatalities. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on available data of all traffic accident fatalities in Fars Province, Iran, during 2004-2009. To identify and fit the best model, various instruments, including the autocorrelation function (ACF), partial autocorrelation function (PACF), and Akaike information criterion (AIC), were used. To determine the accuracy of the model, the residual chart was evaluated in terms of independency, normality, and stationary. Then, the best model in terms of more accurate estimation was selected and analyzed using ITMS, Minitab, and Microsoft Excel software. Results: During 2004 to 2009, 12954 people died due to road traffic fatalities in Fars Province. Among them, 10442 (80%) were male, and mean age at death was 36 ± 20. The number of traffic accident fatalities in Fars Province reduced from 45.5 per 100000 in 2004 to 44.8 per 100000 in 2007. After petroleum rationing, the traffic accident fatality average further reduced (to 42.2 per 100000 in 2009). There was a difference between the observed value and predicted value with two different predication methods, as the number of observed fatalities was less than the estimated numbers. Seasonal Holt-Winters and autoregressive moving average (ARMA) methods’ predications were a close estimation of the accident fatality rate after petroleum rationing, and the difference between their estimations was not considerable. Conclusions: Although the overall rate of fatalities reduced after petroleum rationing, variation in fatality rate did not show any association with petroleum rationing. However, decrease in fatalities had a seasonal pattern. Further decrease in road traffic fatalities requires reinforcement of educational programs as well as application of effective laws.

127-137

Authors: MK Darwiesh , A Al-Hindi *

Background: A cross-sectional analytic method was used to assess health and safety risks that really matter in restaurants of universities and hospitals in the Gaza strip, Palestine. Materials and methods: A 40-item questionnaire was completed by workers in all university and governmental hospital restaurants in the Gaza strip. Another 30-item questionnaire was completed by university students, in addition to 40 checklists and 40 personal meetings were conducted by the researcher. The collected data were analyzed by the risk score matrix to detect the risk level (low, medium, high, and very high) for each risk factor. Results: In general, university and hospital restaurants were similar in terms of risk, but the details differed. The results showed that 22.7% of physical and electrical risk factors in universities were at a very high risk level. It was found that 50.0% of cleanliness of the location and equipment risk factors were at a high risk level, and 60.0% of machinery and equipment risk factors were at a moderate risk level. In addition, the most frequently observed risk factor was employees’ and customers’ safety and health. The results on hospital restaurants showed 75% of physical and electrical risk factor and machinery and equipment risk factor were at a moderate level and high level, respectively. Conclusions: It can be concluded that hospital and university restaurants are similar in terms of risks and levels of risks. Moreover, restaurant employees, cleaners, organization employees, visitors, university students, and patients in hospitals may be at risk if exposure to hazards. Therefore, the development and implementation of a plan with specific measures to address the identified risks is recommended.

1-11

Authors: R Taghizadeh * , M Zare , S Zare

Background: Noise pollution and workers' noise exposure are common in industrial factories in Iran. In order to reduce this noise pollution, evaluation and investigation of noise emission are both necessary. In this study, different noise mapping methodsare used for determining the distribution of noise. Materials and Methods: In the present study, for preparing a noise map in a hall of an industrial factory, sampling was carried out in 6×6 m grid. After data normalization the variogram was developed. For interpolation of mentioned parameter, kriging and Inverse Distance Weighting methods were used. The best model for interpolation was selected by cross validation and error evaluation methods, such as Route Mean Square Error(RMSE). Results: The results showed that kriging method is better than other methods for prediction of noise property. The noise map was prepared, using the best interpolation method in Geographical Information System environment. Conclusion: Workers in this industrial hall were exposed to noise which is mainly induced by noisy machines. Noise maps which were produced in this study showed the distribution of noise and, also revealed that workers suffer from serious noise pollution.

20-26

Authors: M Moghiseh , E Habibi * , N Aramesh , A Hasanzadeh , MK Khorvash , AH Poorrahmatian

Background: To establish a balance between work (physical exercise) and human, the aerobic capacity (VO2max) could be used as a measure. Assessing the heart rate in association to physiological symptoms is the most commonly used tool for the assessment of fatigue during physical exercise. This study aimed to investigate the association between the aerobic capacity and the heart rate of workers from the casting industry. Materials and Methods: The subjects were 200 male workers selected from casting industry in Isfahan using random sampling method. The subjects were examined using ergometer in accordance with Astrand 6 minutes cycle test protocol, Then, the VO2max was estimated using the formula proposed by American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The heart rates were monitored and recorded automatically. Finally, the results were analyzed by SPSS 20 statistical software package. Results: The results illustrated that there was a strong correlation between heart rate (HR) and VO2max (r=0.991, P<0.001). The regression analysis of the quadratic equation indicated that there was a significant association between the VO2max and the heart rate. Conclusion: As the results indicated there was a strong association between heart rate and VO2max, indicating the fact that with the increase in heart rate during physical activity, aerobic capacity is reduced, and the heart rate could be used as a prediction measure to estimate VO2max.

37-43

Authors: Z Zamanian , A Afshin , AH Davoudiantalab , H Hashemi *

Background: Safety signs provide information as well as instructions concerning the hazard or dangers in the workplace. The correct comprehension of these signs is very important for doing the necessary feedback in the specific situation which are described. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, the comprehension of 10 selected safety signs were investigated in 53 randomly selected employees of an industrial company in Shiraz. The comprehension test was carried out with the aid of a standard questionnaire obtained from ISO 9186-1:2007. Results: In this study the mean comprehension scores of the tested signs were 65.95 percent with standard deviation if 28.7. The highest and lowest comprehension scores were for “use hearing protectors” and “biological hazard” respectively. The comprehension of 40 percent of the tested safety signs was lower than the minimum acceptable values of ISO 3864 and ANSI Z535.3 standards. Conclusion: This study showed that there is a significant difference in comprehensions of tested safety signs. For full comprehension of safety signs it is necessary to train the employees or add supplementary texts to the symbols in some cases.

54-59

Authors: R Dehghani , M Sabahi Bidgoli , J Asgari Arani , Gh H Rashedi Vahed , F Heydari , Z Soheili , V Kazemi Moghaddam * , N Afshari

Background: Noticeable amounts of pesticides are used in developing countries each year. However excessive application of these chemicals in the past few decades has breaded serious problems to both animals and humans. Although most studies have targeted acute poisoning, in the present study chronic poisoning as a new and important health problem has been studied due to application and storage of pesticides at homes. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was designed in Kashan, located in the dry central region of Iran in 2012. The data were collected by interviewing 500 home owners and filling questionnaires. The data were analyzed using abundance tables and SPSS software and statistic tests χ2 and fisher exact. Results: The results showed high availability and application of pesticides (97.2%). Citizens reported using pesticides once every six months. There was a positive relationship between the application of pesticides and the observed disorders (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Pesticides are available for most people in an uncontrolled way, which may be the cause of many health problems.

67-75

Authors: MR Rezaei , MH Sayadi *

Background: Composition of dust in the air due to contact with human via inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption will have a large impact on public health. In the learning environments such as universities, many people spend most of their day in contact with the dust. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concentration of heavy metals; lead, chromium and copper in the training space of the University of Birjand (Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources) and examining its ecological risks. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study evaluated a total of 16 samples where 4 samples pertained to the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment and 12 samples were from the Faculty of Agriculture. For estimation of the heavy metals; copper, chromium and lead, hydrochloric acid and nitric acid digestion were used. The concentration of heavy metals was measured using an atomic absorption instrument. The regression coefficient was calculated by Ms Excle software. Results: The results showed that lead (3.414) and copper (14.884) degrees in the official room of the Faculty of Agriculture was more than the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment while lead (2.575) and chromium (0.187) degrees were higher in the classrooms of the Faculty of Natural Resources. The regression correlation coefficient studies showed that the case study heavy metals had week correlation(R2; 0.13 and 0.20) . The pollution index of the element chromium depicted the lowest pollution level and copper had the high pollution levels in some samples. Conclusions: However, the samples exhibited little ecological risks. Thus, the presence of these elements in dust does not lead to serious health hazards. Nevertheless, further studies at different time periods are worthwhile.