Prevalence and Risk Factors of Patellofemoral Pain in an Automobile Manufacturing Factory

@#Introduction: Patellofemoral Pain (PFP) in workers is a common musculoskeletal problem that has a significant financial impact on industrial companies. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of PFP, its demographic, occupational, and psychosocial risk factors, and the association of genu varum with PFP. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, simple random sampling was used to select 1570 male workers in a large Iranian automobile manufacturing company. Demographic, occupational, and psychosocial data were collected through self-report questions. There were also questions about any occurrence of PFP during the past year. The medial tibial intercondylar distance was measured, and a distance of more than 60 mm was defined as genu varum. Results: The prevalence of PFP occurrence in the past year was 34.9%, and the prevalence of genu varum was 14%. The prevalence of PFP occurrence in the past year was associated with salary (P<0.001), the job satisfaction (P<0.001), duration of standing per day (P<0.001), duration of walking per day (P=0.042), carrying loads (P<0.001), getting physical exercise (P<0.001), and genu varum (P<0.001). Age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), work duration, and having a second job were not associated with PFP. There was an association between job satisfaction and having a non-sedentary job. Logistic regression revealed job satisfaction, duration of standing, and genu varum as predictors of PFP. Conclusion: The prevalence of PFP was high in this automobile manufacturing company workers. This was the first study of the prevalence of genu varum and its association with PFP in Iran. The results show an association between genu varum and PFP. However, according to the results of this study and similar studies in other countries, further investigations of PFP and its risk factors are a necessity.

[Exposure to asbestos in patients with malignant mesothelioma in Iran]

Background: Cancer is the third cause of death in Iran. Approximately 5-10% of all human cancers are thought to be caused by occupational exposure to carcinogens. Diffuse mesotheliomas of the peritoneum and pleura are considered [signal tumors,] or pa-thognomonic of exposure to asbestos. There is also evidence that nonasbestos agents can induce malignant mesotheliomas

So, we need to study the history of exposure to asbestos in patients suffering from mesothelima to determine relationship between them in Iran, especially in occupational settings

Methods: We received the data of 272 mesothelioma's patients having been registered in 1385 to 1389 in Cancer Bureau, in Ministry of Health. One hundred fifty four of them had telephone number. Finally we could interview with 60 families and gathered data of patient's history of occupation, cigarette smoking and residence place interred in the designed questionnaire

Then we brought out the variants of age, sex, the province of birth place and the involved organs from the data of Cancer Bureau

Analysis of frequency of variants was carried out and compared once in 272 patients being registered in Cancer Bureau and then in the interviewed 60 patients

Results: Distribution of age, sex, the province of birth and living place and the involved organ were similar in cancer registry's data and the interviewed patients. Distribution of cigarette smoking and exposure to asbestos in the interviewed patients were 28% and 63% respectively. Occupational distribution of interviewed patients consisted of con-struction workers 20%, oil company employees 13.3%, administrative staff 8.3% and drivers 6.7%

Conclusion: The results of our study specified the jobs with high risks of exposure to asbestos and approved the relationship between the exposure to asbestos and the incidence of mesothelioma in Iran, according to researches in other countries. So the consumption of asbestos in Iran, like 20 other countries in the world is necessary to be banned

Sleep quality of professional firefighters

Firefighting is a unique job with contradictious demands that expose firefighters to many well documented causal factors of sleep debt, but no studies in Iran and only a few worldwide studies have investigated their sleep quality while sleep problems may lead to catastrophes especially in critical service workers. The aim of this study is to evaluate sleep quality and its related factors among a sample of professional Iranian firefighters. Using simple random sampling method in a cross-sectional study, 427 personnel of fire and rescue service were invited. They completed the Persian version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] and a data collection sheet about their demographic and occupational features during an individual face to face interview in central office and firehouses throughout Tehran. Response rate was 88.7%. The mean +/- SD global PSQI score was 7.97 +/- 3.77. Sleep latency was the component of PSQI with the greatest degree of abnormality. 69.9% of participants were poor sleepers. Interestingly, we found no significant differences between sleep quality of shift workers and non shift workers. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, only having another job, smoking and years of job experience were predictors of poor sleep. In comparison with adult population of Tehran, sleep quality deterioration is notably more common in Tehran firefighters which require health promotion interventions to prevent its serious adverse outcomes

Fitness for work evaluation of firefighters in Tehran

Firefighting is extremely strenuous and physically demanding work and involves ability to cope with emergency life-or-death situations. Because of the high physical demands of firefighting, successful job performance and minimizing of morbidity and mortality depends on fitness for duty. The firefighting department of Tehran does not perform periodic medical assessment for firefighters. The aim of this study was to evaluate medical fitness among firefighters in Tehran. In this cross sectional study we examined 147 firefighters. Medical and occupational history obtained by interview, then we performed physical examination, blood tests, ECG, spirometry and audiometry. Then results compared with guidelines for firefighters in the USA, Australia and the United Kingdom. Seven percent of our participants had a kind of pulmonary dysfunction and 25% had some degrees of hearing loss. A considerable percent of them had modifiable coronary heart disease risk factors. Thirteen participitants were unfit for this job that among them; ten firefighters were unfit based on vision capability, one case due to hypertention and two cases because of pulmonary dysfunction. Because of hazardouse nature of firefighting; preplacement, periodic medical evaluations and assesment of fitness for firefighters in Iran is highly recommended. Establishment of fitness criteria for firefighters in Iran is necessary to perform assigned functions safely

Effects of training course on occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens: a controlled interventional study

One of the serious occupational concerns in health care workers [HCWs] is exposure to blood/body fluids that can transmit blood borne pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B and C viruses. We are reporting the effects of training course and surveillance on the rate of needle stick injuries [NSIs] among HCWs at an educational hospital in Iran. Aims: To evaluate the effects of training course on the rate of NSIs and its reporting. We selected two hospitals [A and B] based on their similarities in wards and facilities then asked the managers of these two hospitals to participate in our study. We established a new occupational health center and conducted a training course at hospital A on 2010 and compared it with control group [hospital B]. The data from 2009 to 2011 was collected, analyzed to compare pre and post intervention rates. During study period nurses sustained the highest number of injuries [hospital A: n=80; 66.1% and hospital B: n=64; 35.4%]. The incidence rate of NSIs in hospital A was 7.16 NSI/100FTE/ YEAR before the intervention which was increased to 12.06 after the intervention. In hospital B this rate was 6.05 during three years. The study revealed remarkable increase in the incidence rate of NSIs after the intervention. This is being achieved by meticulous surveillance, training course and improving awareness.

Epigastric and umbilical hernia; work relatedness and return to work

Abdominal wall hernia is common but reliable scientific data about its work relatedness is very limited and inconsistent. In this paper, a less common type of abdominal wall hernia in a 30 year old male worker is presented with recurrence after first surgery when he returned to work. In contrast with almost all kinds of hernia, a lifelong limitation for heavy lifting was recommended. It seems that contrary to popular belief, work relatedness of abdominal wall hernia is seriously doubtful, although conclusive evidences are not enough. It is preferable to make decisions cautiously for return to heavy duties of work after surgery of large umbilical, umbilical and epigastric or incisional hernia, while avoiding recommendations for long days off work after surgery of any hernia

Musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic hazards among Iranian physicians

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders [MSDs] and ergonomic hazards and their relationship among Iranian physicians who work in teaching hospitals. A self-administered questionnaire was provided to 405 physicians in four teaching hospitals. The questionnaire had three major parts: the first part gathered individual and work-related data, the second was a modified version of the Standardized Nordic questionnaire for musculoskeletal symptoms, and the last part evaluated the duration of exposure to ergonomic hazards at work. Knee pain [19.8%] was the most common complaint among physicians, followed by low back [15.1%] and neck pain [9.8%]. A total of 169 physicians [41.7%] reported symptoms in at least one part of their bodies. Prolonged sitting, standing, and neck flexion were the most common reported ergonomic hazards among participants. Multiple logistic regression analysis reported statistically significant associations for the outcomes of knee pain and symptoms in any part of the body with the work-related factors of years of employment and work hours per shift. The prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among physicians was low, less than other health care workers, but similar to those reported in the general population. These musculoskeletal complaints were, however, associated with traditional work-related and ergonomic factors

[Parental occupational exposures of children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia [ALL]: a case-control study]

Objective[s]: To evaluate the association of parental occupational exposures to six categories of occupational hazards including pesticides, solvents, paint and pigments, organic and non-organic dusts, and metals with the risk of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia [ALL] in their offspring

Methods: From 2007-2009 our hospital based case-control study was performed with 200 children diagnosed with ALL and 200 controls consisting of children suffering from endocrine or rheumatologic disorders, who were matched by age and sex. The study was performed at the Children's Medical Center and Vali-Asr hospital, in Tehran, Iran. The parents were interviewed face to face to gather information on demographic characteristics, child's medical history and home exposures, and parental occupational histories

Results: We found that paternal exposures to non-organic dusts [OR [95% confidence interval]=2.17 [1.11-4.26]; P=0.02] and metals [OR [95% confidence interval]=2.68 [1.38-5.21]; P=0.004] were related to an increased risk of ALL in their offspring. No significant relations were found for the other paternal exposure categories neither for the all maternal exposures categories with the risk of ALL in their offspring

Conclusion: Our study provides support to the association between some paternal occupational exposures and ALL risk in their offspring. Further studies are necessary to corroborate the observed associations in this study

Relationship between exposure to industrial noise and serum lipid profile

Aim of our study was to investigate the effects of exposure to industrial noise on serum lipid profile among workers who are exposed to noise at work. In a historical cohort study, we recruited 154 and 146 male workers as high and low level noise exposure groups respectively. We defined workers with at least one year exposure to noise level more than 90 dB as high exposure group, and those with exposure to less than 80 dB as low exposure group. Afterwards, in the fasting blood specimens of participants we measured serum Triglyceride [TG], total Cholesterol [TC], high and low density lipoprotein [HDL and LDL]. Mean of TG, TC, HDL and LDL for low exposure group were 148, 189, 38 and 103 mg/dl and for high exposure group were 237, 189, 37 and 104 mg/dl respectively. Mean serum TG between two groups was different. Even after adjustment for age, BMI, smoking and work hours per week, serum TG among high exposure group was 89 mg/dl higher than low exposure group and this difference was statistically significant [P=0.00]. There was no significant difference between two groups in TC, LDL and HDL levels. This study did not find a statistically significant relationship between exposure to noise and serum TC, LDL and HDL, but TG in two groups was different and this difference was statistically significant