Journal of Occupational Health and Epidemiology
Volume:3 Issue: 1, Winter 2014

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. Data gathered from health centers from March 2005 until December 2011 were used for this cross-sectional descriptive study of animal bites. 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. 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.

In the refractory brick manufacturing industry, because of the high risks associated with the level of dust in the factory environment and thermal stress, a precise identification of industrial hazards is required as a part of safety analysis. The aim of this study was to introduce a preventive approach to risk identification and assessment in the refractory brick production line. In this paper, methods such as observation of factory operations, process analysis through the factory diagrams, and interviews with employees were used. In addition, the risk levels of the factory were investigated using the risk matrix. The results of the study showed 97 deviations from the main process with various causes and consequences. None of the deviations were in the unacceptable category with 3.09% falling in the undesirable category, 3.09% in the acceptable but in need of revision category, and 92.78% in the acceptable category. The results showed that 40.2% of the risks were caused by human errors. The installation of a secondary control valve in the transfer route of the glue vapors to the workplace, an alternative pressure control system, a secondary ventilation system, several fans near the furnace (redundancy), and a real-time phenol monitor are recommended. Moreover, regular analysis of safety, health, and environmental risks are some of the recommendations proposed to reduce the identified risk level.

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. 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. 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). 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.

In spite of science and technology developments and their application in different industries, accidents occur in many work environments. Thus, this study was conducted in order to investigate factors affecting constructional accidents. In this descriptive study, all workers who were injured in building construction during 2009-2010 and were registered in the Labor and Social Welfare Corporation were investigated. The data was collected through a checklist, and then, entered into SPSS software and analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. Most of the accidents (about 40%) have occurred in the 24-29 year age group. Improvidence and nonuse of protective and safety instruments are the cause of 42% and 30% of accidents, respectively. The most injured parts of the body were the head (about 60%) and hands (about 45%). The least number of injured individuals was in the insulation and formatting sections (each one about 5%). Most injured persons were hired for less than 1 month (40%) and had job experience of less than 5 years (45%). Approximately 0.5% of injured persons have died and 35% of events have caused bone fracture in different parts of the body. The instructions related to protection, conforming to the related principles during work, and suggestion of solutions in order to prevent nonchalance, particularly for individuals with low job experience, will help to prevent accidents.

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.

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 inpatient's psychological condition analysis form. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

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.

Given the high prevalence of mental disorders in this community, it is recommended that consultation and therapeutic services be provided in health centers for patient's health.

Breast variations play an important role in breastfeeding success. It seems that this issue has not gained enough attention. The present study was designed to measure the prevalence of breast variations among women of reproductive age in an Iranian community. In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 402 pregnant women who were referred to the only maternal hospital of Rafsanjan county, Iran, was randomly recruited for the study. There were 20 items on the checklist in two sections including 14 demographic and 6 specific items. Trained physicians recorded the data in the checklist through interviewing the mothers and using their physical examination after receiving respondents’ consent. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. In addition to descriptive methods, the level of risk of breastfeeding failure with 95% CI was calculated. Normally distributed continuous variables were compared using the independent t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare discrete variables and those continuous variables that were not normally distributed. Of 402 mothers who accepted to participate, 51 mothers were detected with at least one type of breast variation giving a prevalence of 127 per 1000 mothers. The most common type of breast variation was “flat nipple” (n = 34). The existence of at least one type of breast variation among mothers increased the risk of failure in the breastfeeding process 14.1 times. Having “flat nipple” increased the risk of breastfeeding failure 11.6 times. In addition to the high prevalence of breast variation among the study population, our findings illustrated its significant negative effect on breastfeeding success. Thus, health professionals’ skills must be developed in the management of breastfeeding among mothers with this problem and mothers need to be given appropriate advice on how to counteract resulted breastfeeding difficulties. More investigations are strongly recommended.

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. 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. 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. 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.

Morpholine is a toxic substance used in industry and agriculture and can be absorbed into the body through ingestion, inhalation, and the skin. The present study aimed to assess the effect of morpholine and physiological serum ingestion on qualitative and quantitative characteristics of white blood cells and kidney tissue of white male mice. In the present study, 40 adult NMRI male Albino mice were placed in 4 groups; control group, physiological serum (sham) group, treatment group A [fed with 300 mg/kg of 1 ml of the prepared solution (0.009 ml morpholine + 0.091 ml of distilled water) per day for 15 days], and group B (the same volume of morpholine and physiological serum). After weighing, anesthesia, and blood sampling, all considered parameters were measured using MOTIC software. In addition, macroscopic and microscopic studies were conducted on prepared slides and obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software. In group A, reduced thickness of the outer cortex of the kidney (proximal convoluted tubule), increased thickness of the inner cortex (Malpighian body’s, distal convoluted tubule), and reduced external medulla (Henle’s loop) were significant compared to the control group and sham group. However, no significant difference was found among the groups with regard to the internal medulla (collecting pipes). Moreover, the kidney gained weight compared to the whole body. Changes in white blood cells in group A were significant compared to group B. Stress morpholine causes changes in blood parameters, increased filtration, decreased reabsorption and absorption, weight loss, inflammation, hyperemia, urinary tract reconstruction and resulted polyuria. However, these impacts reduced via physiological serum.