BackgroundJob stress and job satisfaction are important factors affecting workforce productivity. This study was carried out to investigate the job stress, job satisfaction, and workforce productivity levels, to examine the effects of job stress and job satisfaction on workforce productivity, and to identify factors associated with productivity decrement among employees of an Iranian petrochemical industry.MethodsIn this study, 125 randomly selected employees of an Iranian petrochemical company participated. The data were collected using the demographic questionnaire, Osipow occupational stress questionnaire to investigate the level of job stress, Job Descriptive Index to examine job satisfaction, and Hersey and Goldsmith questionnaire to investigate productivity in the study population.ResultsThe levels of employees' perceived job stress and job satisfaction were moderate-high and moderate, respectively. Also, their productivity was evaluated as moderate. Although the relationship between job stress and productivity indices was not statistically significant, the positive correlation between job satisfaction and productivity indices was statistically significant. The regression modeling demonstrated that productivity was significantly associated with shift schedule, the second and the third dimensions of job stress (role insufficiency and role ambiguity), and the second dimension of job satisfaction (supervision).ConclusionCorrective measures are necessary to improve the shift work system. “Role insufficiency” and “role ambiguity” should be improved and supervisor support must be increased to reduce job stress and increase job satisfaction and productivity.

Background Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but there are debates on the usefulness of vitamin D treatment. The interindividual variations in response may be due to different genetic backgrounds. The present study evaluated the efficacy of calcitriol treatment in NAFLD patients with regard to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) genotypes of FokI polymorphism. Methods The study was conducted on 128 NAFLD patients randomly divided into two groups and were subjected to intervention with 0.25 mcg calcitriol/day or placebo for 4 months, while anthropometric parameters, glycemic status, lipid profiles, inflammatory markers, liver enzymes, and fatty liver indices were measured. The ARMS-PCR method was used to genotype the VDR FokI polymorphism. Results Calcitriol treatments along with weight loss and diet recommendations decreased the liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP, p < 0.001 for all) and fatty liver indices (HSI, p < 0.01 and APRI, p < 0.001), compared to the baseline. But when the calcitriol effects were compared to the placebo group, only ALP decrease remained significant (17.5 IU. P = 0.02). The prevalent FokI variants in our population were FF (53.1%) and Ff genotype (45.3%). No significant interaction of FokI variants to the calcitriol effects was found except for ALP. The decrease in the ALP activity was higher in calcitriol-received patients with the Ff genotype (p = 0.05). Conclusions The FF and Ff variants of VDR FokI polymorphism did not interact with the effects of calcitriol on fatty liver, but the ALP was more responsive in subjects with the Ff variant. IRCT registration number IRCT2017053034222N1 Registration date: 2017-06-28 - Retrospectively registered, https://en.irct.ir/trial/26203

No abstract

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the association of polymorphism rs10181656 (C>G) of signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) gene with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) in the southwest of Iran as well as the probable relationship between the polymorphism with clinical features and disease activity parameters in both diseases. Patients and methods: A total of 200 patients (120 with RA [21 males, 99 females; mean age 44.83 years; range, 16 to 75 years] and 80 with SSc [13 males, 67 females; mean age 44.3 years; range, 30 to 75 years]) and 120 healthy controls (25 males, 95 females; mean age 46.93 years; range, 30 to 75 years) were recruited in this study. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. A set of genotypes was confirmed by sequencing. Results: A statistically significant association was detected between STAT4 rs10181656 polymorphism and RA (p=0.007). No significant correlation was detected between STAT4 rs10181656 polymorphism and SSc (p=0.357). None of the clinical features (anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide, rheumatoid factor) or disease activity parameters (limited cutaneous SSc, diffuse cutaneous SSc) showed any correlation with the genotype distribution of the STAT4 rs10181656 polymorphism in RA or SSc patients. Conclusion: Our findings suggest an association between RA susceptibility and STAT4 rs10181656 polymorphism. However, no significant association was found between the mentioned polymorphism and SSc. Clinical features and disease activity parameters did not show any association with the polymorphism.

Background and Objectives: The organizational leadership style can be considered as an important psychosocial factor that may affect workers' health, safety, and productivity. The current study aimed at investigating the relationship between organizational leadership style and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among workers. Methods: The current descriptive, cross sectional study was conducted on 188 employees, including 10 leaders and 178 followers of an Iranian process industry. Nordic MSDs questionnaire (NMQ) and leadership style questionnaire (MLQ) were used as data collection tools. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 19. Results: Totally, 71.7% of the participants reported experiencing the symptoms of MSDs during the last 12 months. The highest prevalence of MSDs was in lower back (47.2%), shoulder (34.8%), and neck (32.4%), respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that the mean scores of transformational and laissez faire leadership styles in the two groups of with and without MSDs were significantly different. Conclusions: MSDs had high prevalence among workers of the studied process industry. Higher rate of MSDs was observed among the workers with higher scores of laissez faire leadership style. In contrast, the employees under transformational leadership style as the dominant management method, reported lower rate of MSDs complaints. As a conclusion, a relationship was observed between the leadership style and MSDs occurrence in the studied industry.

Background: This study investigated the workload and its effects on the prevalence of needlestick injuries (NSIs) among the nurses in the hospitals affiliated with Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences (AUMS). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 416 registered nurses working in different wards of the hospitals affiliated with Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences (AUMS) were randomly selected. Data collection instruments were a demographic questionnaire and NASA-TLX workload questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of NSIs in the total work experience and the last year were 72% and 50%, respectively. The mean total score of NASA-TLX calculated to the extent of 78.27 ± 12.2. The regression modeling demonstrated that NSIs significantly correlated with patients treated/d (OR: 1.136, CI: 1.02 -1.27, P value: 0.002), Timing of injury (OR: 2.13, CI: 1.20 -3.79, P value: 0.010), and the third dimensions of NASA-TLX index (time pressure) (OR: 1.031, CI: 1.02-1.05, P value: < 0.001). Conclusions:The study showed a high prevalence of NSIs among nurses. Corrective measures such as planning training programs targeting at using personal protective equipment (PPE), modification of work schedule by limiting working hours and the number of shifts per month, and providing sufficient human resources are essential for the effective prevention of NSI incidents among the studied nurses.

Abstract:Background:Unsafe behaviors are main causes of accidents mostly influenced by personal characteristics, social environment and also individual biorhythm cycles. This study was carried out to find out whether personality traits and biorhythm could affect the incidence of unsafe behaviors among city bus drivers.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on 224 bus drivers in Shiraz, Iran, 2014. The data were collected using NEO personality traits questionnaire. Also, a self-constructed checklist was used to investigate the drivers' unsafe behaviors. Information on drivers' biorhythm was analyzed by Natural Biorhythm software version 3.2. The relationship between demographic characteristics, personality traits and biorhythm were examined by T-Test, One-way ANOVA, correlation coefficient and Chi square tests. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the factors influencing the incidence of unsafe behaviors.Results:28.6% of participants have experienced critical days in their biorhythm cycles. Also the mean percentage of unsafe behavior was 54.08 ± 11.91 among the subjects of the study. Significantly negative correlations were observed between each personality factor and the percentage of unsafe behaviors. Also, there was a significant relationship between percentage of derivers' unsafe behaviors and the general cycle of biorhythm (having at least one critical day in each of the cycles).Conclusions:Taking the measures including selection of low-risk traffic routes in the critical days and considering the personality traits at the time of employment could be effective in reducing the unsafe behaviors and accidents.

Background: This study investigated the workload and its effects on the prevalence of needlestick injuries (NSIs) among the nurses in the hospitals affiliated with Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences (AUMS). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 416 registered nurses working in different wards of the hospitals affiliated with Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences (AUMS) were randomly selected. Data collection instruments were a demographic questionnaire and NASA-TLX workload questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of NSIs in the total work experience and the last year were 72% and 50%, respectively. The mean total score of NASA-TLX calculated to the extent of 78.27 ± 12.2. The regression modeling demonstrated that NSIs significantly correlated with patients treated/d (OR: 1.136, CI: 1.02-1.27, P value: 0.002), Timing of injury (OR: 2.13, CI: 1.20-3.79, P value: 0.010), and the third dimensions of NASA-TLX index (time pressure) (OR: 1.031, CI: 1.02-1.05, P value: < 0.001). Conclusions: The study showed a high prevalence of NSIs among nurses. Corrective measures such as planning training programs targeting at using personal protective equipment (PPE), modification of work schedule by limiting working hours and the number of shifts per month, and providing sufficient human resources are essential for the effective prevention of NSI incidents among the studied nurses.