Journal of Occupational Health and Epidemiology
Volume:4 Issue: 1, Winter 2015

Chemical contaminants present in the work environments include gases, vapors, and solid and liquid suspended particles. The number of factories producing chemicals has increased significantly. Each year, new products are introduced into the market. Consequently, the number of employees at risk of exposure to these materials is increased. Hazardous chemicals are used in the petrochemical industry that is one of the major industries in the country's economic development. Therefore, the aim of this study was a semi-quantitative risk assessment of health exposure to hazardous chemical agents in a petrochemical plant.
This was a descriptive analytical study for assessing the sanitary risks of hazardous chemical factors in the work environment through a risk assessment method provided by the Occupational Health Department of Singapore. Thus, initially, occupational tasks and processes were determined. Subsequently, all hazardous chemical factors were detected, and then, the degree of risk, the degree of exposure, and risk rating were determined.
In total, 24 tasks were examined and risk assessment was performed for 19 hazardous chemical substances in this study. Among these materials, benzene and xylene had the highest risks and were used in various occupations. In this study, mean and standard deviation of age and experience of participants were 30.28 ± 7.87 and 5.98 ± 5.66, respectively. Moreover, 25.3% of participants in this study were single and 74.7% were married.
It can be concluded that 81% of chemicals used in this industry are rated at moderate and high risk. In order to control the identified risks, this study recommended programs and control measures based on the hierarchy of elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and use of personal protective equipment.

Hospital surge capacity (HSC) is essential to the successful management of expected consequences of disasters and mass casualty incidents (MCIs). In MCIs, an unanticipated number of sick or injured people refer to the hospital, and thus, the hospital is faced with a significant increase in the burden of necessary activities and services. Therefore, managing the process in order to meet patients’ needs is critical. Mass poisoning is an emergency event that requires HSC. The aim of the present study was to analyze the activities performed to manage poisoning caused by oral consumption of methanol in the summer of 2013 in Rafsanjan, Iran.
This was an empirical case study consisting of various stages. The research environment was one of the teaching hospitals in Rafsanjan. The target population included emergency officials of the incident command system (ICS) and emergency operation center (EOC), and the Deputy of Health in Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected through review of documentation, internet resources, observation, and deep interviews with officials. Framework Analysis was used for the analysis of qualitative data.
During this incident, 694 individuals referred to the hospital within 1 day; 361 patients were treated in Rafsanjan and 333 patients were referred for treatment to other cities (Kerman, Zarand, Shahr Babak, Sirjan, Bardsir, and Yazd). In terms of HSC management, communication was better in the 4Cs than other factors. In the 4Ss, the performance of staff was acceptable, and in the 3Ts, the treatment and transference of poisoned patients were evaluated as satisfactory and acceptable, respectively.
According to the results of this study, HSC in the event of methanol poisoning is inevitable. Therefore, attention to and preparation for this issue in the response phase is very important. Hospitals should identify their capacities in order to take appropriate action toward the prevention of, preparation for, and response to an event.

Health-promoting lifestyle is one of the determination criteria for health factors and the prevention of health-threatening factors. According to the available statistics, 53% of deaths are related to lifestyle. The aim of this study was to evaluate health-promoting lifestyles in medical students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences (RUMS), Rafsanjan, Iran.
This was a descriptive study conducted in 2014 on 262 volunteer medical students. To collect data, a demographic information questionnaire and the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) were used. Minimum and maximum scores of HPLP-II were 48 and 192, respectively. Data analysis was conducted using t-test, one-way ANOVA, Tukey's multiple comparison test, and non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test.
In this study, 58.8% of the participants were women. The mean age of the participants was 22.50 ± 2.16 years. The mean and standard deviation of the HPLP-II score of the medical students was 109.74 ± 18.65. There was a significant relationship between health-promoting lifestyle and variables of age (P = 0.007), university entrance year (P 0.050).
This study showed that the status of health-promoting lifestyles in medical students of RUMS was at a moderate level, but it is still at a great distance to the optimal level. Therefore, it is necessary to implement programs to promote a healthy lifestyle in order to maintain health in the youth until graduatio.

Sleep and rest are basic physiological human needs. Nurses work irregularly in morning, afternoon, and evening shifts; therefore, they are at greater risk of sleep problems than others. The aim of this study was to identify the factors related to sleep quality of nurses at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013. The study subjects consisted of 366 nurses who were randomly selected from among nurses working at the medical university. Data collection tools included the occupational demographic questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data analysis was performed using chi-square test and logistic regression model in SPSS software.
It was found that 273 (74.7%) of the nurses had poor sleep quality. The overall mean score of nurses was 7.35 ± 2.86. The logistic regression model showed a statistically significant relationship between poor sleep quality and variables of age (P = 0.030) (95% CI: 1.09-1.010) (OR = 1.50), gender (P = 0.001) (95% CI: 0.23-0.70) (OR = 0.40), number of night shifts (P = 0.003), (95% CI: 1.138-1.11) (OR = 1.20), and having children of less than one year of age (P = 0.019) (95% CI: 3.8-1.12) (OR = 2.10). The chi-square test showed a significant relationship between poor sleep quality and the type of working shift (P = 0.001). About one-third of the nurses in this study used medicine for sleeping and had difficulty in falling asleep.
The results indicated that the sleep quality of the majority of the nurses was poor. It is suggested that a certain guideline be developed for planning nurses’ schedules using the results of this study and other studies in this area.

The physical and psychological health of bus drivers is a critical factor in public driving performance. Any impairment can have dire consequences for passengers and the company. Thus, research on the mental health status of public bus drivers is a critical issue in reducing road accidents, decreasing passengers’ injuries, and ensuring the safety of the operation.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2014 and the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) was used for the psychological health measurement of 214 consenting bus drivers in Qom Province of Iran. In addition, a demographic questionnaire was applied. Data were analyzed in SPSS software.
All drivers (except one) were men with a mean age of 34.25 ± 7.49 years. The majority of the participants (207; 96.7%) were married. Based on the average scores obtained from GHQ-28 (21.45 ± 12.88), general psychological morbidity was 35.98%. Moreover, the components of somatic symptoms, sleep disorders and anxiety, social dysfunction, and depression were experienced by 33.64%, 40.65%, 50.93%, and 13.08% of bus drivers, respectively. The questionnaire data indicated that age (P It can be concluded that driver's physical and mental health are areas of concern that need to be addressed alongside the development of specific methodologies for permanent monitoring of these factors at specific times as permanent training and evaluation are necessary. The data obtained in the present study showed that prevention strategies such as routine evaluations, recording, and analysis of mental health status among drivers must be effective and applicable.

The objective of the health system reform plan is to review individuals’ satisfaction in the field of health and to reduce their concerns and medical expenses. The disregarding of some workers in this plan seems to have resulted in their dissatisfaction, which can in turn cause problems such as neglecting of patients and patient's dissatisfaction. Therefore, the identification of the requirements of this plan from the perspective of nurses, as one of the main members of the healthcare team, can have a significant role in enhancing, promoting, and sustaining the objectives of this plan. This study aimed to evaluate the satisfaction of healthcare workers with their working conditions after the implementation of the healthcare reform plan in Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
The participants of this descriptive study consisted of 191 medical personnel. Their satisfaction with their working conditions after the implementation of the healthcare reform plan was evaluated using a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity of the instrument was confirmed through content validity and immediate reliability was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha. Data were analyzed using independent t-test and ANOVA in SPSS software.
The overall mean satisfaction was 2.22 ± 0.66 (out of 5). The lowest satisfaction score was related to the area of salary and welfare status and the highest satisfaction score was related to the work environment and conditions, and the health system reform plan.
Given the key role of the medical personnel in the health system reform plan, creating opportunities to improve their welfare and rights is recommended and must be considered by authorities.

The workers of mines, during a working day, are exposed to stress and psychological pressure that certainly affect the efficiency of their work. This study aimed to determine the level of stress, anxiety, and depression in workers of one copper mine in Kerman Province, Iran.
In this cross-sectional study, 250 workers of the operation unit of one copper mine in Kerman Province were examined in 2014. Sampling was done using census method and data were collected using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), the validity and reliability of which has been approved. This questionnaire consists of 21 questions that are divided into 3 subscales on depression, anxiety, and stress each containing 7 questions. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software using the Pearson correlation, Spearman’s correlation, and regression tests.
The mean age and work experience of subjects were 31.82 ± 8.61 and 6.67± 5.79 years, respectively. Moreover, the education level of 45 individuals (18%) was below diploma, 85 (34%) diploma, 46 (18.4%) associate degree, and 74 (29.6%) bachelor's degree or higher. Furthermore, 194 subjects (65%) were married. In addition, 135 subjects (54%) worked only on day shifts and 115 (46%) of them had shift work. In this study, 98 (39.2%), 88 (34.8%), and 88 (35.2%) employees suffered from depression, anxiety, and moderate and severe stress, respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed between subjects who worked on day shifts and those who had shift works in terms of stress, depression, and anxiety. In addition, significant relationships were observed between stress, depression, and anxiety in the 4 study groups (P 0.005).
The results of this study showed that the rate of stress, anxiety, and depression was high among the examined mine workers.

The pistachio is a nut produced by about 20 species of shrub. Present-day studies show the health benefits of pistachio in preventing or treating diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), and erectile dysfunction.
MEDLINE / PubMed, and Google Scholar databases were searched using the keywords of Pistacia vera, Pistacio, chemical composition, anticancer, anti-inflammation, antidiabetic, and antioxydative. Relevant articles published in the last decade were identified and reviewed.
The chemical composition (macronutrients, micronutrients) of pistachio and the main outcomes of treatment with pistachio species were categorized. The possible mechanisms of action of treatment with pistachio species are discussed in this article. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the beneficial effects of nuts such as pistachio on health, lipid profile, and diseases.
It is commonly believed that pistachio can be used in the prevention and treatment of diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, coronary heart disease (CHD), cancer, inflammatory diseases, and MS. This study showed that nuts such as pistachio have many beneficial effects on health, and can be used for controlling different diseases. It seems that the pistachio may have anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemia, and anti-proliferation effects and may be recommended for the prevention, improvement, or treatment of diseases such as diabetes, CVD, inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), cancer, and MS.