Journal of Occupational Health and Epidemiology

61-69

Authors: C Panebianco *

Background: Performance related musculoskeletal and associated health issues are prominent amongst musicians. The aim of this study was to explore self-reported musculoskeletal and related health issues in undergraduate music students. A further goal was to ascertain how these problems impact students’ learning and playing their instruments. Materials and Methods: A longitudinal mixed method study was done over a period of three years with 145 undergraduate music students at the Department of Music, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa who completed a health survey, which included verbal statements to open-ended questions. The frequency and percentages of each quantitative variable were calculated using Excel software. Results: The results showed an overall 83% prevalence of musculoskeletal and related health problems among music students. The four most prominent problems cited were related to inappropriate tiredness, concentration problems, sleep disturbances and headaches. Prominent musculoskeletal problems included orofacial issues such as sinus problems, and pain experienced in the lower spine, upper spine, left and right forearm. Students were generally reticent to report problems to healthcare professionals, particularly if they were not musculoskeletal in nature. Conclusions: The current study shows that undergraduate music students at the University of Pretoria experience similar types of playing-related problems to students elsewhere in the world. However, there is a need to further probe and report playing-related musculoskeletal and its associated health problems at this institution as well as other tertiary institutions in South Africa. Furthermore, issues of diagnosis, treatment and impediments dedicated to specific instrument groups should be addressed.

77-83

Authors: Y Taghavi , MR Soleimani * , MR Mokhtaree , A Taheri

Background: The determination of common diseases in a region is a medical and health priority of that region. Ocular emergencies can cause permanent vision loss if they are not recognized and treated promptly. Preserve vision of patients, We arranged this study in Moradi hospital (Kerman, Iran), to estimate our regional situation. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 2035 medical records of individuals referring to the ocular emergency unit of Moradi Hospital in 2015-2016 were assessed. Demographic information and type of injury, , were recorded in a checklist. The data were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. Results: The mean age of the patients was 35.49 ± 13.69 years and the mean duration of time between occurrence of injury and referral was 2.59 ± 2.11 hours. In addition, 1902 (93.5%) participants were men The most common object causing injury was wood (0.8%) and chemical agent was acidic substances (0.8%). The causes of referral in order of frequency were ocular foreign body (OFB) (91.4%), lacerations (3.1%), chemical burns (1%), corneal abrasion (0.9%), glaucoma (0.8%), orbital cellulitis (0.6%), thermal burns (0.6%), infection (0.5%), artery occlusion (0.5%), corneal laceration (0.4%), hyphema (0.2%), and injuries caused by welding (0.2%). corneal laceration, OFB, corneal abrasion, glaucoma, and infection, lacerations, artery occlusion, and penetrating trauma more in men and 16-39 years (P < 0.05). Conclusions: the majority of injuries were observed in men due to ocular foregin body related to occupational practice. Therefore, occupational ocular injuries should be reduced through a closer relationship between medicine and industries, and education on occupational accidents.

92-97

Authors: A Esmaeili , M Rezaeian , HR Naghizadeh , Sh Khajehosseini , M Mobini *

Background: Lighting is a basic need for human beings and affects their physical, physiological, and psychological behavior. The required level of lighting for visual performance must be provided in order to ensure health and wellbeing. Students spend much of their time studying in libraries, and thus, sufficient lighting is necessary in libraries. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine lighting intensity in university libraries in Rafsanjan, Iran. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 13 university libraries of Rafsanjan in April 2014. To assess natural and total lighting intensity, the network method was used. Lighting intensity was measured in a total of 314 stations in the university libraries of Rafsanjan. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The men’s section of the library of Vali-E-Asr University of Rafsanjan had the highest total lighting intensity (1265.40 ± 530.95 lx) and the men's section of the library of the School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, had the lowest total lighting intensity (91.06 ± 29.40 lx). Among the 13 study halls of the studied libraries, 4 (30.7%) halls had no windows. The lack of windows has an undesirable effect on the intensity of natural lighting. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, the average lighting intensity in 50% of the studied libraries was less than the Iranian standard. Therefore, the redesigning and modification of the lighting systems of these libraries are necessary.

106-113

Authors: Z Salem * , F Ebrahimi , F Aminzadeh , Z Asadolahi

Background: Malnutrition in both its forms of obesity and underweight, particularly in pregnant women, cause maternal mortality and ‎prenatal complications.‎ The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of malnutrition among pregnant women and its effect on‏ ‏pregnancy outcome, in Rafsanjan, Iran, in 2016.‎ Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 839 pregnant women referred to Niknafs and Ali-Ebn Abitaleb ‎ Hospitals in 2016. The subjects were selected by ‎census method. Data [age, pregnancy age, ‎pre-gestational height and weight, and body mass index (BMI)] were collected in the emergency ward and recorded in a checklist. Information on the type of delivery (normal or ‎cesarean section), and the neonate’s gender, weight, height, and head circumference at birth were collected in the ‎maternity ward. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Fisher’s exact test, and chi-square test. ‎ Results: This study showed that the prevalence of pregestational overweight & obesity, and underweight was ‎‎37.5% and 7.4%, respectively. The prevalence of neonatal LBW and HBW was 5.1% and 3.8%, respectively. In addition, 9.7% of underweight women had LBW neonatals, and 11.8% ‎‎of women with pregestational obesity had HBW infants (P = 0.039).‎ Conclusions: The prevalence of obesity in pregnant women was higher than that reported in other studies ‎in different regions of Iran. Therefore, obesity is a warning for health politicians and administrators. ‎Although prenatal care has been able to control neonatal LBW and HBW, although there is a long way until the achievement of the nutritional ‎goals for 2025.