Elahe Saleh

This 15-year prospective cohort study aimed to examine the impact of occupational exposure to noise and respirable flour dust on the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components among 379 flour mill workers in Iran. The cohort was divided into an exposed group (n = 232), comprising workers with chronic exposure to noise and dust, and a non-exposed group (n = 147), including administrative and supervisory staff with minimal exposure. Annual measurements of noise and dust followed NIOSH guidelines, and cumulative exposures were calculated over time. MetS and its components were assessed based on ATP III criteria using clinical and biochemical markers such as fasting blood sugar (FBS), triglycerides (TG), HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure. The results revealed that prolonged exposure to flour dust was associated with borderline increases in the risk of hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia, while noise exposure did not show significant associations with MetS or its components. Significant risk factors for MetS components included body mass index (BMI), age, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Age was a strong predictor of hyperglycemia (HR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02–1.14, p = 0.007), and baseline TG levels were significantly associated with hypertriglyceridemia (HR = 1.003, 95% CI:1.001–1.004, p = 0.001). Stratified analyses highlighted increased risks of MetS components among workers with extended working hours and rotational shifts. These findings emphasize the need for workplace interventions to reduce cumulative exposure risks. Future research should investigate potential mechanisms and synergistic effects of multiple occupational hazards.

Introduction: Physical activity is essential for health maintenance across various dimensions; however, sedentary behavior remains widespread in numerous societies. Notably, women often exhibit higher levels of sedentary behavior than men, potentially exacerbating complications related to motherhood. This study aims to assess and compare physical activity levels in middle-aged women (30–45) using self-reported measures and pedometers while exploring associated factors in the context of reproductive health. Methods: This study analyzed secondary data from a randomized controlled trial involving 91 women aged 30–45 from Semnan University of Medical Sciences. Participants completed a validated 12-item questionnaire and wore Omron Style Pro-2 pedometers for one week to assess physical activity levels. Women were categorized as active or inactive based on self-reports and pedometer data. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 27. Participants provided informed consent, ensuring confidentiality throughout the study. Results: The study involved 91 women with a mean age of 27.4 years, of whom 82.6% were married. Only 11.7% self-reported as “low active,” while pedometer data revealed that 94.5% were inactive or had insufficient physical activity. A significant relationship was found between the number of children and physical activity levels, with women who had children being more active (p = 0.035). No correlation was observed between self-reported activity and pedometer measurements, indicating women often overestimate their physical activity levels. Discussion: This study highlights the inaccuracies in self-reported physical activity assessments. Most women were found to be physically inactive, with the number of children influencing their activity levels. These findings underscore the need for interventions to increase women’s physical activity. Conclusion: These findings bear important implications for health policy within communities. Further research involving larger sample sizes across various age and gender demographics is warranted to enhance our understanding of physical activity patterns and inform targeted interventions.

BACKGROUND: Occupational accidents remain a critical challenge for healthcare professionals. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, using the Bayesian network (BN) approach association among resilience, job satisfaction, stress, and occupational accidents among healthcare professionals is examined. METHODS: Data was gathered using several valid questionnaires. The BN approach was utilized to analyze the r5/31/2024ionships between the variables of the current study. The performance of BN analysis was evaluated using related indexes. RESULTS: In total, 300 healthcare professionals participated in this study. Results showed that almost 23% of healthcare professionals had experienced occupational accidents. Results of the sensitivity analysis demonstrated that job satisfaction had the most significant influence on occupational accidents in healthcare settings. The belief updating analysis results showed that by increasing job satisfaction and decreasing stress of healthcare professionals the occurrence of occupational accidents decreased 9.8% and 6.4%, respectively. Moreover, decreasing the stress of healthcare professionals can lead to an increase in the level of job satisfaction. Evaluation indexes showed that the performance of the developed BN was acceptable (error rate: 16.09). CONCLUSION: The Findings reveal that both job satisfaction and stress had a significant influence on occupational accidents in healthcare professionals. Moreover, by influencing job satisfaction and stress, resilience can indirectly affect occupational accidents.

Background and Objective: The development of new technology has changed the work environments of today´s world and made workers in these workplaces tolerate more visual and cognitive requirements compare with physical demands. This study aimed to investigate the quantitative and qualitative status of workplace illumination and its association with mental ...

The professional use of formaldehyde is a major occupational health concern in medical laboratory operations. Quantification of various risks associated with chronic exposure to formaldehyde may help in understanding the related hazards. This study designed to assess the health risks associated with inhalation exposure to formaldehyde involving biological, cancer, and non-cancer risks in medical laboratories. This study was performed in the hospital laboratories at Semnan Medical Sciences University. Risk assessment was performed in pathology, bacteriology, hematology, biochemistry, and serology laboratories with 30 employees, using formaldehyde in their daily routine operations. We determined area and personal exposures to airborne contaminant, applied standard air sampling, and analytical method recommended by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). We addressed formaldehyde-specific hazard by estimating peak blood level, life cancer risk, and the hazard quotient of non-cancer risks, adapted from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assessment method. The airborne formaldehyde concentrations in the laboratory personal samples ranged 0.0156–0.5940 ppm (mean = 0.195 ppm, SD = 0.048) and area exposure ranged 0.0285–1.0810 ppm (mean = 0.462 ppm, SD = 0.087). Based on workplace exposure, peak blood levels of formaldehyde were estimated at minimum 0.0026 mg/l to maximum 0.152 mg/l (mean = 0.015 mg/l, SD = 0.016). The mean cancer risk levels in terms of area and personal exposures were estimated respectively at 3.93 E − 8 μg/m³ and 1.84 E − 4 μg/m³, and for the non-cancer risk levels of the same exposures measured respectively at 0.03 μg/m³ and 0.07 μg/m³. Formaldehyde levels were significantly higher among laboratory employees, especially bacteriology workers. Exposure and risk could be minimized by strengthening control measures including the use of management controls, engineering controls, and respiratory protection equipment to reduce exposure levels of all workers to less than the allowed exposure limits and improve indoor air quality in the workplace.