Assessment of mental workload and its association with work ability in control room operators.

BACKGROUND: Modern technology has reduced physical workload and imposed high mental workload on the control room operators in industrial settings. The present study was conducted among control room operators to assess their mental workload, investigate their workability, examine the relationship between mental workload and workability, and determine the factors associated with workability. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 213 control room operators in six Iranian process industries. Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) was used to assess the mental workload, and Work Ability Index (WAI) was used to determine workability. The relationships between demographic characteristics and dimensions of mental workload and workability were examined by univariate tests. Logistic regression analysis was also used to determine the factors associated with the operators' workability. RESULTS: The results showed a high mental workload in the study population (82.38±8.8). Yet, the operators showed a good and excellent level of workability (56.4%). Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed a significant inverse linear relationship between the mean score of mental workload and workability (r=-0.581). Besides, regression modeling demonstrated that mental demand (OR=0.90), temporal demand (OR=0.90), effort (OR=0.91), frustration (OR=0.92), from NASA-TLX subscales were significantly associated with workability. Moreover, mental and temporal demands were important factors associated with reduced workability. CONCLUSION: Monitoring tasks imposes high mental workload on the control room operators, which may result in adverse effects on their workability as well as on the safety of the system.

Accessing free quality health care services and premature death.

BACKGROUND: The type of health insurance may affect the likelihood of mortality of insured people. We conducted this study to determine if accessing free quality health care services could decrease the premature mortality of people in a developing country. METHODS: In a multicenter cross sectional study, "years-life-lost" (YLL) due to premature death was evaluated in 202 671 insured people residing in six large regions in Iran. The participants had access to free quality health care services. The number of insured people that died in the six regions during March 20, 2014, to March 20, 2015, as well as their sex, age, and cause of the death, were collected, and the YLL was calculated based on assumptions made in Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD2010). RESULTS: The crude mortality rate was 2.3 per 1000, significantly lower than the overall rate of 4.6 per 1000 people in general population of Iran. The average YLL was 47 years per 1000 persons, significantly lower than that in general population of Iran and many industrialized countries. The most common causes of death (and YLL) were cardiovascular diseases and malignancies. CONCLUSION: Having access to free quality health care services is associated with a significant decrease in premature death.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adult population in Shiraz, southern Iran.

AIM: Metabolic syndrome (MSx) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated the prevalence of MSx in adult population in Shiraz, southern Iran. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study conducted between October 2012 and April 2013, using a simple random sampling method, 377 adults aged more than 20 years who were invited for periodic health examinations to Petroleum Industry Health Organization Polyclinic, a general health care center, Shiraz, southern Iran, were studied. The revised National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III was used for the diagnosis of MSx. RESULTS: The participants included 190 women and 187 men with a mean±SD age of 43.8±11.0 (range: 20-86) years. Of 377 participants, 101 (26.8%, 95% CI: 22.3-31.3%) had MSx. The prevalence in men (16.6%) was significantly (p<0.001) lower than that in women (36.8%). The prevalence increased by almost 15% with each decade of life (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MSx in our population, particularly in women, is high. Strategies should be planned to prevent the increasing prevalence of MSx in our country.