Occupational stress among radiographers in Lagos, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Occupational stress induced injuries occur in various professions that require repetitive motion or physical exertion, such as Radiography. The injuries may involve body parts such as the neck, the upper back, mid back, low back (waist), knee, elbow, wrist and hand and eyes. OBJECTIVE: To assess work related injuries medical radiographers are prone to, during practice of the profession in relation to their working conditions. METHODS: This study was conducted among registered practicing radiographers in Lagos State, South-West, Nigeria. Lagos is one of Nigeria's most populated states and economic nerve centre of Nigeria. Due to its population, there are many hospitals with radiodiagnostic facilities and radiodiagnostic centres which are either government or privately owned. Eighty registered radiographers in 21 hospitals and diagnostic centres participated in the study. They include three federal government owned institutions, three State government owned institutions and fifteen privately owned diagnostic centres. The respondents' status were made up of 38 males and 42 females where 37 of them were between 20-30 years, 11 were between 41-50 years and those above 51 years were 12. RESULTS: The results revealed that a majority (91.2%) of respondents stand during the course of their work. Waist, neck, heel, wrist and shoulder pains were common among the respondents. Some respondents frequently manifest frustration (78.7 %), insomnia (52.5 %), difficulty in concentration (56.2%), poor appetite (50.0%), irritation (67.5 %) and tension (63.8%) while lesser percentages experience such. CONCLUSION: This study showed that occupational stress sites susceptible to work induced stress injury. Musculoskeletal strain was the most common type. Waist/ low back, plantar/heel and wrist pains were also common among radiographers in Lagos, Nigeria.

Potential health risks due to telecommunications radiofrequency radiation exposures in Lagos State Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: The global system mobile telecommunications system (GSM) which was recently introduced in Nigeria is now being used by over 40 million people in Nigeria. The use of GSM is accompanied with exposure of the users to radiofrequency radiation (RFR), which if significant, may produce health hazards. This is the reason why many relevant national and international organizations recommended exposure limits to RFR and why it is made compulsory for GSM handsets to indicate the maximum power output as a guide to potential consumers. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to measure the RFR output power densities (S) from the most commonly used GSM handsets used in Lagos State and compare with the limit recommended for safety assessment. METHODS: Over 1100 most commonly used handsets of different makes and models as well as wireless phones were sampled and studied in all over the local government areas of the State. An RFR meter, Electrosmog from LESSEMF USA was used for the measurements. The handsets were assessed for health risks using the reference value of 9 Wm(-2) as recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). RESULTS: The range of the S-values obtained varied from a minimum of 1.294 0.101 Wm(-2) with Siemens model R228 to a maximum of 16.813 +/- 0.094 Wm(-2) with Samsung model C140*. The results from wireless telephones showed very low S-values ranging from a minimum of 0.024 +/- 0.001 Wm(-2) with HUAWEI and ST CDMA 1 to a maximum of 0.093 +/- 0.002 Wm(-2) with HISENSE. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the population in Lagos State may be at risk due to significant RFR exposures resulting principally from the use of GSM. Quite a number of handsets emit power above the ICNIRP recommended value. Measured RFR power close to Radio and Television masts and transmitters are within tolerable limits in most cases, only that the public should not reside or work close to RFR installations. Phone calls with GSM should be restricted to essential ones while youths and children that are more susceptible to RFR hazards should be supervised in their use of GSM. Wireless phones are quite safe.