ABSTRACT
Objective: To prioritize occupational hazards in a Pharmaceutical Company in Iran using the analytical hierarchy process [AHP]
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a Pharmaceutical Company in Iran in 2017. All employees working in the administrative, production, installations and facilities, and laboratory units were studied using the consensus method [N=n=130 employees]. A data collection form was designed for identifying the hazards using the Nominal Group Technique [NGT] method, as well as a pair-wise questionnaire was used for collecting required data in the quantitative phase. The collected data were analyzed using Expert Choice 10.0 and SPSS 23.0
Results: The results showed that among hazards detected in the studied units, the highest and lowest weights and priorities were, respectively, related to "inhalation of toxic gases" [W=0.253] and "being exposed to radiation" [W=0.022] in the laboratory unit, "skin injuries" [W=0.205] and "bending and straightening for a long time" [W= 0.032] in the production unit, "falling down" [W=0.271] and "standing and sitting for a long time " [W=0.037] in the installations and facilities unit, and "hand joint failure" [W=0.295] and "working in a low-light environment" [W=0.092] in the administrative unit
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that there were hazards in all of the studied units. These results indicated a high level of hazards in the pharmaceutical company's units. Due to the increased medication diversification and increased workload for these companies, paying attention to the preventive and corrective measures in order to reduce the risk of emerging hazards is essential
ABSTRACT
Objective: to identify and prioritize factors affecting the location of road emergency bases in Iran using Analytical Hierarchy Process [AHP]
Methods: this was a mixed method [quantitative-qualitative] study conducted in 2016. The participants in this study included the professionals and experts in the field of pre-hospital and road emergency services issues working in the Health Deputy of Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education, which were selected using purposive sampling method. In this study at first, the factors affecting the location of road emergency bases in Iran were identified using literature review and conducting interviews with the experts. Then, the identified factors were scored and prioritized using the studied professionals and experts' viewpoints through using the analytic hierarchy process [AHP] technique and its related pair-wise questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using MAXQDA 10.0 software to analyze the answers given to the open question and Expert Choice 10.0 software to determine the weights and priorities of the identified factors
Results: the results showed that eight factors were effective in locating the road emergency bases in Iran from the viewpoints of the studied professionals and experts in the field of pre-hospital and road emergency services issues, including respectively distance from the next base, region population, topography and geographical situation of the region, the volume of road traffic, the existence of amenities such as water, electricity, gas, etc. and proximity to the village, accident-prone sites, University ownership of the base site, and proximity to toll-house
Conclusion: among the eight factors which were effective in locating the road emergency bases from the studied professionals and experts' perspectives, "distance from the next base" and "region population" were respectively the most important ones which had great differences with other factors
ABSTRACT
Social determinants, similar to equity, have been considered by policymakers in many countries .However, there is not a correct and complete understanding of them. This study aimed to analyze the systematic relationships among social determinants of health [SDH] and identify their prioritization in Iran. This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2012. The target population consisted of 30 experts on SDH. Required data was collected using a questionnaire, as well as, nominal group technique [NGT]. Then collected data were analyzed using MATLAB 7.9.0 and SPSS 18.0. Determinants of early life [EL], social gradient [SG], unemployment [U], stress [S] and addiction [A] were certainly affecting determinants on the system, which were placed in the cause group and ranked as the first to fifth priorities, respectively. While social exclusion [SE], food [F], social support [SS], work [W] and transport [T] were partially affected determinants and were placed in the effect group and ranked as the sixth to tenth priorities, respectively. Early life and transport were identified as the most affecting and affected determinants with the coordinates [2.16 and 0.75] and [1.68 and -0.47] on the SDH diagram, respectively. Improving the social and economic status, considering the early life, increasing the quality of education, and reducing unemployment and stress have effects on the other social determinants of health and provide opportunities for increasing equity