Background: Ergonomic factors predispose nurses to low back pain (LBP). Few studies have clarified the role of workplace violence in LBP occurrence. Objectives: The present study was designed to investigate acute and chronic LBP in Iranian nurses and its association with exposure to physical violence as well as its personal and ergonomic risk factors. Materials and Methods: In this analytic cross sectional study, the rate of acute and chronic LBP and contributing factors were investigated among 1246 nurses using a validated questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed by chi square, student t-test, and logistic regression, to determine the association between independent variables and LBP. Results: In total, 1246 nurses, consisting of 576 (46.23%) males and 670 (53.77%) females, were included. The mean age and the mean years of employment were 31.23 ± 5.33 and 16.18 ± 7.05, respectively. Both acute low back pain (ALBP) and chronic low back pain (CLBP) were associated with physical violence experience. Moreover, acute and chronic LBP were predicted by positive past history of LBP as well as two ergonomic factors, frequent bending and frequent carrying of patients. Conclusions: Besides a history of low back pain and ergonomic factors, physical violence may be considered a contributing factor for acute low back injuries. Special attention to all personal, occupational, and psychological risk factors is recommended. Keywords: Low Back Pain; Nurses; Workplace Violence; Risk Factors

Nurses, as the largest forces in the health system, are always challenged with various work responsibilities such as long working hours, lack of manpower and death of patients. This study aimed at providing a model of the relationship between workload and physical and mental health, sleep disorders, and individual and family problems by the mediation role of job stress. The present study is a cross-sectional study that was conducted on 300 nurses in a specialty and sub-specialty hospital in Tehran. For this reason, various questionnaires including demographic, survey of shift workers (SOS) and job stress questionnaires were used to collect the desired data. The proposed model was presented using structural equation modeling method based on Smart-PLS and SPSS-20 software. The results show that workload has an effect on job stress (β=0.747), mental health (β=-0.291), Physical health (β=-0.253), sleep quality (β=-0.234) and personal and family problems (β=-0.206). Also the results of this study show that job stress has an effect on mental health (β=-0.295), Physical health (β=-0.349), sleep quality (β=-0.295) and Personal and family problems (β=-0.441). In conclusion, results showed that the data fitted well with the model and that workload is associated with physical and mental problems, sleep disorders and individual and family problems both directly and indirectly through job stress mediation.

Background: Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) technique is one of the tools developed for predicting the risk of musculoskeletal disorders based on the effective risk factors. This method has several limitations. The present study was aimed to develop the Modified Rapid Entire Body Assessment (MOREBA) method to more accurately predict the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.Materials: This cross-sectional study was performed on 300 male workers of a steel factory with a variety of job tasks in Iran. Then, the information related to the various physical risk factors was extracted through observation of their duties and conversation with them. Also, the subjects were asked to complete the Persian version of Cornell musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaires (CMDQ). Then, a theoretical model was drawn in AMOS software. Computed coefficients were used to develop the MOREBA equation. In the end, the final scores were categorized by ROC curves, and the validation of the novel method was investigated using linear regression analysis.Results: The parameters evaluated in the MOREBA method included contact stress, rapid and sudden movement, throwing motion, hand-arm vibration, whole-body vibration, temperature, and work-rest cycle in addition to the parameters of the REBA method, including awkward posture, coupling, force, load, static activity, and repetitive activity. The results showed that the strain produced by the physical risk factors with the total effect coefficient of 0.783 could significantly affect the musculoskeletal symptoms. The computed coefficients of the risk factors were applied to develop a novel index. The final score of the MOREBA method was categorized into four levels by optimal cut-off points of 12.37, 16.51, and 24.35. Based on the results, the MOREBA and REBA methods could justify 67 and 55% of the variations of musculoskeletal symptoms, respectively.Conclusions: The results revealed that modifications conducted in the REBA method were effective, and the MOREBA method can provide a more accurate prediction of the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.

Accidents caused by human error are prominent in the medical field. The present study identified medical errors in the emergency triage area by assessing the tasks of all healthcare workers employed in the triage area of an educational hospital in Tehran, Iran in 2014. Data were collected using the systematic human error reduction and prediction approach (SHERPA). The tasks and sub-tasks were determined and analyzed using hierarchical analysis and the errors were extracted. A total of 199 human errors were identified in the different tasks. The rate of error for action was 46.8%, checking was 25.6%, retrieval was 8.5%, communication was 12.1% and selection was 7%. Rate of unacceptable and unfavorable risks were 21.1% and 38.6%, respectively. SHERPA was shown to be an appropriate technique for detecting medical errors. The establishment of control programs should be a high priority in the management and implementation of health facilities in triage areas.

Background: Hearing impairment (HI), resulting from noise exposure, can be incapacitating and irreversible. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the relationship between noise exposure and HI among workers and employees in a spinning industry. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 489 workers in a spinning industry in Iran during 2015. The census method was applied for the purpose of sampling. The hearing threshold of each ear was determined during work shifts, using Madsen audiometric device. HI was calculated, based on the guidelines by the American Medical Association (AMA). The effects of different variables on HI were assessed via regression analysis. Results: The mean noise level at workplace was 88.87 ± 13.6 dB. The highest noise level in the sampled worksites was observed in the ring spinning section (94.1 ± 3.2 dB). Based on the results, maximum HI in both ears was 41%. The findings showed a significant relationship between HI and noise level, age, educational level, and work shift. Also, a linear equation was proposed in which each dB increase in noise level resulted in an approximately 0.5% decline in HI. Conclusions: By introducing an equation, this study demonstrated that spinning workers, who are exposed to relatively high noise levels, are at risk of major HI. In addition, a number of potential contributing factors, including age, work experience, occupation, and work shift, were correlated with HI. Keywords: Occupational Noise; Hearing Impairment; Hearing Impairment Predictors; Spinning Industry

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between individual, physical and psychosocial risk factors with musculoskeletal disorders and related disability in flight security personnel. Methods. The study was conducted among 316 employees in Iran flight security. To study the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, lifestyle, occupational stress, mental workload and disability, the Cornell questionnaire, Walker lifestyle questionnaire, job content questionnaire, NASA task load index and pain disability questionnaire were used, respectively. Data were analyzed using independent-sample t test, one-way analysis of variance, χ² test and multiple logistic regression. Results. A total 68.35% of participants had musculoskeletal disorders in at least one of their body parts. There was a significant relationship between the parameters of increased age, higher work experience, high body mass index, gender and educational level and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. Also, some components related to healthy lifestyle, occupational stress and mental workload had significant association with mentioned disorders (p < 0.05). Conclusion. The parameters of lifestyle, occupational stress and mental workload are among the most important risk factors for the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and related disabilities in flight security personnel. Therefore, corrective measures through controlling individual, physical and psychosocial risk factors are necessary.