Climate Change and Occupational Heat Strain Among Women Workers: A Systematic Review.

Climate change increases heat stress exposure and occupational heat strain in tropical and subtropical regions with generally hot-humid climate conditions. The present systematic review was conducted to assess the effect of climate change on occupational heat strain among women workers. In this study, three main databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched to find relevant literature on climate change and its effects using subject headings and appropriate MeSh terms. This article has been written according to the PRISMA checklist. A total of 6,176 studies were identified for screening and 13 studies were eligible for data extraction. Scientific evidence reveals that there is an imprecise but positive relationship between climate change and occupational heat strain regarding women workers. Some complications associated with occupational heat strain among women workers include fatigue, discomfort, dehydration, reduced brain function, and loss of concentration. Climate change can lead to an increase in the occurrence of heat-related illnesses and the levels of injury risk. In addition, its adverse health effects on women workers are mentioned. This systematic study identifies key priorities for action to better characterize and understand how occupational heat strain among women workers may be associated with climate change events. Strong evidence indicates that climate change will continue to cause occupational heat strain among women workers. It is essential to implement preventive measures considering multidisciplinary strategies to reduce the adverse effects of climate change on women workers health in hot weather settings. This can limit the health risks and negative effects of climate change.

Exploring medical students' perceptions and understanding of the health impacts of climate change: a qualitative content analysis.

BACKGROUND: Climate change has been identified as the greatest threat to global health in the twenty-first century, with its unfavorable health consequences being among its impacts on humans. Exploring the perspectives and understanding of healthcare professionals and service providers concerning climate change becomes imperative. The aim of this study is to investigate the perceptions and understanding of final-year medical students regarding the health impacts of climate change on individuals and the healthcare system using a qualitative content analysis. METHODS: This study employed a qualitative content analysis approach. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the aid of an interview guide to explore the students' awareness, understanding, and attitudes towards the impacts of climate change on public health and the healthcare system. The collected interview data were subsequently organized into codes, categories, and subcategories based on the students' perspectives and attitudes towards climate change. RESULTS: Fifteen medical intern students were interviewed for this study, and the qualitative findings were categorized into 3 categories, 23 subcategories, and 229 codes. The study's findings revealed various health impacts of climate change, which were classified into three main categories, including environmental effects with 8 subcategories, socio-economic effects with 8 subcategories, and health effects with 7 subcategories. The study's findings revealed medical students' perceptions of various health impacts of climate change and These findings suggest that medical student understand that climate change has significant impacts on individuals' health and society, mainly through environmental degradation, increased risks, and climate-related disasters, which ultimately lead to adverse health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The perspectives of medical students in this study indicate that climate change may not have a direct and immediate impact on the health of individuals and communities. However, it can significantly influence their health and socio-economic well-being by exacerbating or causing environmental problems, increasing the risk of weather-related events and natural disasters, ultimately leading to adverse health outcomes. While the medical students' perspectives on the health impacts of climate change are indeed broad, incorporating scientific knowledge about this topic into the medical curriculum and educating students on how to deal with patients affected by these consequences can have a significant impact on health management. This proactive approach, despite the students' already comprehensive understanding, can enhance their preparedness to address the health effects of climate change and contribute to strengthening the healthcare system's resilience in the face of climate-related challenges.

Investigating the impacts of socio-economic vulnerability indicators on COVID-19: A case study of Yazd, Iran.

Socio-economic vulnerability plays a major role in affected countries by disasters and emergencies. This study aims to identify the most effective socio-economic vulnerability indicators on COVID-19 cases and severity in the Yazd city. This study was conducted in 2022. Regarding purpose of study, different methods were applied during this research. They were including reviewing scientific research, expert panel sessions, weighting the socio-economic vulnerability indicators by Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and examining the spatially relationships between vulnerability indicators and COVID-19. Excel and GIS software were applied for data analysis using local correlation coefficient. AHP analysis showed that employment, population density, buildings quality and distance from hospitals were obtained the most weight in the related indicators of socio-economic vulnerability. GIS mapping overlying showed that four socio-economic vulnerability sub indicators including percentage of immigrants, age, population density and distance from health centers had spatially relationships with COVID-19 cases and severity. Western, northern and some central regions of Yazd were identified as the COVID-19 hot spots. Local officials and health authorities should pay immediate attention to the most influential socio-econimic vulnerability indicators that are dominant in the Yazd city. They incorporate measures to the regions identified as hot spots because people who located in these areas are more vulnerable to COVID-19 and the other future natual or man-made disasters.

Impact of social and cultural factors on incidence, transmission and control of Coronavirus disease in Iran: a qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 pandemic has had mixed reactions from nations, people and governments about ways to cope with, prevent and control the disease. The current study identifies social, cultural and policy factors affecting the incidence and control of Coronavirus disease in Iran. METHODS: A qualitative study consists of content analysis as well as the views of 20 experienced and knowledgeable subjects specialized in social and cultural health management. The data were gathered using three semi-structured interviews and then continued by 17 semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was done using Graneheim approach. After each interview, the recorded audio files transcript and reviewed. Then codes extracted and divided to categories and sub-categories. RESULTS: There are distinct social and cultural factors in coping with Coronavirus disease. These consisted of three categories of governance, individual and community related factors. A total of 17 subcategories and 215 primary codes that were extracted from the text of interviews as variables of the study and in relation to the research question. Ten subdomains of governance including vaccination, political issues, knowledge, support services, administrative services, transportation, health and treatment, culturalization, legislation and, managerial and financial policies impacted the spread and mitigation of the pandemic at various levels. CONCLUSION: The management of pandemics requires a comprehensive capacity for identifying and determining social and cultural criteria. A healthy partnership between governments and the community may be required to remove unnecessary obstacles that hinder public health attempt to alleviate the risk. The obtained criteria and indicators from this study may be utilized by policy makers in an attempt to strengthen protocols for mitigating pandemics. Further studies may be warranted to confirm these findings.

War, displacement, and the best location for temporary sheltering: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: One of the most important consequences of man-made disasters in the world is the loss of homes and, ultimately, forced population displacement. The sheltering of forcibly refugees to safe areas requires the study of scientific criteria. METHODS: This qualitative content analysis study was conducted in Iran to identify the criteria for the sheltering of refugees due to conflict. Participants in the study comprised experts and managers who had expertise, experience, or knowledge in the shelter for refugees. Data was collected in semi-structured interviews with 20 individuals and analyzed by qualitative content analysis to extract and categorize the factors affecting sheltering for refugees. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that a wide range of factors should be considered in the sheltering of refugees due to conflict, including land type, access to facilities, access to infrastructures, homogeneity, and similarities, security, distance from danger, environmental factors, economic issues, and political and legal issues. These nine categories covered 53 subcategories and 188 factors. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensiveness of the factors mentioned in this study showed that the sheltering of refugees due to conflict requires planning, training, culture building, promoting readiness, and inter-organizational coordination. Moreover, managers, policymakers, decision-makers in relief agencies, humanitarian organizations, and organizations involved in sheltering of refugees due to conflict should attend to these factors to improve the process and prevent problems.

Building Resilience in Firefighters: A Systematic Review.

Background: We aimed to identify indicators affecting firefighters' resilience through a systematic review. Methods: International electronic databases, including Web of Science, Medline through PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, were searched on Dec 23, 2018. The search strategy was developed using main words, including firefighter, resilience, and indicators. Then, the indicators related to firefighters' resilience were extracted and analyzed using a qualitative synthesis method. Results: Overall, 7178 unique documents were identified by searching different databases. Then, by screening the title and abstract, 7104 articles were excluded, and only 74 full text papers were critically studied. Finally, 31 full text articles were selected for the analysis. Quality appraisal of included studies done by modified STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) tool. Moreover, 186 indicators and criteria were extracted from the included studies and classified into 6 domains and 15 categories. Conclusion: This study suggests six main domains, including physical health, physical fitness, mental health, life style, job-related competencies, and demographic status, to categorize different indicators of firefighters' resilience. Building resilience in firefighters requires all these domains to be considered in the assessment, planning, and evaluation processes.

Effect of heat stress on DNA damage: a systematic literature review.

Thermal stress has a direct effect on various types of DNA damage, which depends on the stage of the cell cycle when the cell is exposed to different climate conditions. A literature review was conducted to systematically investigate and assess the overall effect of heat stress and DNA damage following heat exposure. In this study, electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched to find relevant literature on DNA damage in different ambient temperatures. Outcomes included (1) measurement of DNA damage in heat exposure, (2) three different quantification methods (comet assay, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and γ-H2AX), and (3) protocols used for moderate (31) and high temperatures (42). The evidence shows that long exposure and very high temperature can induce an increase in DNA damage through aggregate in natural proteins, ROS generation, cell death, and reproductive damage in hot-humid and hot-dry climate conditions. A substantial increase in DNA damage occurs following acute heat stress exposure, especially in tropical and subtropical climate conditions. The results of this systematic literature review showed a positive association between thermal stress exposure and inhibition of repair of DNA damage.

Criteria for Locating Temporary Shelters for Refugees of Conflicts: A Systematic Review.

Background: We aimed to identify the indicators and criteria to locate temporary shelters for conflict refugees. Methods: This systematic review evaluated the full-text of the related articles in international electronic databases, such as Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochran, and Google Scholar from the beginning and without time limit to 1 June 2019. In addition, this search was based on a strategy developed by the researchers. The studies were selected regardless of their methods and two data extraction forms were used to extract the most relevant and important information. Results: Among 10124 cases of primary documents, 38 articles were selected, and 25 articles were analyzed in full-text. Totally, 45 indicators were identified and classified into two main categories of physical and non-physical indicators with six subcategories of land ownership, host government, access to infrastructures, site safety, land characteristics, and economic, social, and cultural considerations. Conclusion: The selection of temporary shelters for the conflict refugees requires the identification of all the specific influential factors not properly addressed. The final indicators obtained in our review could be incorporated into the development of the models required in this regard.

Social vulnerability indicators in pandemics focusing on COVID-19: A systematic literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Social factors can affect the vulnerability of disaster-prone communities. This review aimed to identify and categorize social vulnerability indicators in the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in February 2021. Bibliographies, citation databases, and other available records were investigated based on the aim of the study. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools were applied for assessing the included articles retrieved through the comprehensive and systematic literature search. Descriptive and thematic analyses were done to extract the indicators affecting social vulnerability in the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Thirty-one eligible articles were included and 85 indicators of social vulnerability were extracted. The indicators were categorized in seven main categories, including; Household, community composition; Race, minority status and language; Socioeconomic status; Community health status; Public health infra-structures; Education; Information, technology and communication. CONCLUSION: Regions with higher social vulnerability experienced greater mortality rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional research is needed to measure the social vulnerability index in pandemics to prioritize distribution of scarce resources and ensure effectiveness and equity for all regions of countries.

The effect of cooling vests on physiological and perceptual responses: a systematic review.

Humans in hot environments are exposed to health risks and thermal discomfort which seriously affect their physical, physiological and mental workload. This study aimed to assess the effects of using cooling vests (CVs) on physiological and perceptual responses in the workplace. Three main databases were searched using subject headings and appropriate Mesh terms. The article has been written according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews checklist. A total of 23,837 studies were identified for screening and 63 studies were eligible for data extraction. A statistically significant difference was observed in body temperature among hybrid cooling garments (HBCGs), phase-change materials (PCMs) and air-cooled garments (ACGs) at 31.56-37 °C (60% relative humidity), evaporative cooling garments at 25.8-28.1 °C and liquid cooling garments at 35 °C (49% relative humidity) compared to without CVs (p < 0.001). HBCGs (PCMs and ACGs) are effective means in hot, moderate, humid or dry environments.

Assessing the Preparedness of Healthcare Facilities for Disasters and Emergencies in Damghan, Iran.

OBJECTIVES: Iran is exposed to a wide range of natural and man-made hazards. Health-care facilities can play a significant role in providing life-saving measures in the minutes and hours immediately following the impact or exposure. The aim of this study was to determine the preparedness of health-care facilities in disasters and emergencies. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Damghan, Semnan Province, in 2019. The samples consisted of all the 11 health-care facilities located in Damghan County. A developed checklist was used to collect the data, including 272 questions in 4 sections: understanding threatening hazards, functional, structural, and nonstructural vulnerability of health-care facilities. The data were analyzed using SPSS 21. RESULTS: The results revealed that the health-care facilities were exposed to 22 different natural and man-made hazards throughout the county. The total level of preparedness of the health-care centers under assessment was 45.8%. The average functional, structural, and nonstructural vulnerability was assessed at 49.3%, 31.6%, and 56.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Conducting mitigation measures is necessary for promoting the functional and structural preparedness. Disaster educational programs and exercises are recommended among the health staff in health-care facilities.

Exploring the criteria and factors affecting firefighters' resilience: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: Firefighters are exposed to high levels of occupational risk factors, such as safety risks, chemical, ergonomic, and physical hazards that may jeopardize their lives. To overcome these hazards, firefighters must be physically, mentally, and personally fit to work. This study aimed to explore the criteria and factors affecting firefighters' resilience based on stakeholders' experiences. METHODS: This qualitative study was carried out using conventional content analysis. In total, 21 face-to-face interviews were conducted by firefighters who were experienced in the field. The interviews were carried out from July 2019 to January 2020. The data were collected using 3 unstructured interviews and then resumed by 18 semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was done using Graneheim method. RESULTS: The participants had more than 5 years of experience in the field of search and rescue. The extracted codes through data analysis were classified into 3 main categories (individual, organizational, and social factors), 9 sub-categories (mental, physical, occupational, managerial, colleagues-related, equipment-related, environmental, community-related, and family-related factors), as well as 19 sub-sub-categories and 570 codes. CONCLUSION: Firefighters' personality, physical condition, behavior and psychological characteristics can affect their resilience along with organizational and management factors that play significant role in people's safety. Developing a tool for assessing resilience can help decision makers to have a real depict of firefighters' job qualifications.