Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine最新文献

Context: Handloom weaving is one among the most culturally significant, age-old industries in India. But it is largely unorganized, exposing workers to various occupational health hazards and suboptimal working conditions. Recognizing and addressing their health issues is very crucial.

Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 330 handloom weavers aged >18 years and of both sexes selected by cluster sampling method from July 2023 to September 2023 in Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu. After obtaining ethical approval, the data were collected by face-to-face interview method using a questionnaire designed using previous literatures, Ergonomic Evaluation Checklist, and the Nordic standard musculoskeletal questionnaire and the working environment details were recorded by observation. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (IBM) and expressed as percentages or mean with standard deviation.

Results: Many were at the age group of 41-60 years with mean (SD) of 45.85 (±10.37) and majority were males (n = 231, 70%). Their average total duration of work was 13.52 years. The working h per day was 8.65 h. The mean overall Ergonomic Index was 29.29%. Workstation design and adaptability (23.67%), working posture (6.30%), and general conditions (32.98%) were all noticeably poor indicated sub-optimal ergonomic conditions, despite the Hand Tool Design Index was satisfactory (63.28%). The common health problems reported were musculoskeletal disorders (n = 261,79.10%), eye problems (n = 167, 50.60%), respiratory problems (n = 49,14.80%), and gastrointestinal problems (n = 46, 13.90%).

Conclusions: This study revealed a considerable health problems and risk among handloom weavers, highlighting the need for interventions to improve health monitoring, and working environment.

Introduction: The term "waste" refers to any material that is disposed of. Waste includes items such as paper, vegetables, plastics, metals, glass, and containers that people do not use over an extended length of time. In India, effective waste management is one of the key factors influencing community health. However, basic trash disposal principles and practices are frequently disregarded. Poor waste management impairs public health, lowers quality of life, and contaminates nearby resources like land, water, and air. It impacts the entire planet, and it also contributes to global warming and climate change. Waste management is essential because poor rubbish disposal can have a detrimental impact on both human health and the environment.

Aims: To evaluate household knowledge of domestic waste management in a selected community area of district Kangra HP.

Settings and design: In a selected community area of district Kangra HP and quasi-experimental design with one group, pre-test, and post-test.

Methods and material: Hundred households were chosen using a non-probability purposive sampling technique.

Statistical analysis used: Descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: The t-value for this test was 6.92 with 99 degrees of freedom, corresponding P-value was of the order of 0.000, which is small (less than 0.05), and the research hypothesis was accepted.

Conclusions: Implementation of informational booklet showing effectiveness of the tool to enhance the knowledge of households regarding domestic waste management. Gender, educational status, and monthly income were significantly associated with post-test knowledge score (<0.005).

Background: Despite progress, gender gaps persist in editorial leadership. This study explores the extent of women's representation on editorial boards of occupational health and safety journals indexed in MEDLINE and discusses the potential implications of underrepresentation for scientific discourse and research visibility.

Methods: This study presents a cross-sectional analysis of MEDLINE-indexed occupational health and safety (OSH) journals to assess gender representation across editorial roles and examine associations with journal characteristics using Spearman correlation. Objectives include: (i) quantifying female participation across editorial positions, (ii) examining associations with journal characteristics (e.g., impact factor, editor-in-chief gender), and (iii) identifying barriers to women's inclusion. A structured search of the NLM Catalog was conducted on May 16, 2024 using MeSH terms for "occupational health" and "occupational medicine." Eligible journals had OSH as their primary focus and publicly listed editorial boards. Data on editorial roles were extracted manually and analyzed using the Composite Editorial Board Diversity Score. All data were independently verified. No direct contact was made, and ethical approval was not required as only publicly available data were used.

Results: Among 1215 editors across 32 journals, women comprised 39%. Female representation rose with journal impact factor (Spearman r = 0.591, P < 0.001) but did not increase with a female editor-in-chief (r = -0.207). These results highlight persistent underrepresentation that is unlikely to be resolved by individual leadership alone.

Conclusions: This study reveals underrepresentation of women on OSH journal editorial boards, raising concerns of bias and limited perspectives, indicating that appointing women to top roles alone does not yield gender-equitable boards and that systemic measures remain necessary. Persistent underrepresentation likely reflects structural barriers; interpretations are noncausal given the cross-sectional design. Addressing these gaps is vital for promoting equity and inclusivity in occupational health research.

Background: The morbidity profile of the employees is influenced by the low quality of life (QOL). Considering this study analyzed QOL and morbidity patterns among contractual workers in a research institute.

Methods: It is a cross-sectional study, conducted at a research institute in Bangalore. Using universal sampling technique, 200 workers were included in this study. World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF(short version) (WHO QOL-BREF) was used for data collection on QOL.

Results: Physical domain of QOL got a mean score of 68 ± 19.5, and others were the following 58 ± 18.7 (psychological), 63 ± 19 (social), and 54 ± 21 (environmental). Factors like male gender are found to have low psychological mean domain score. The mean domain scores of physical, psychological, and environmental were found to be significantly high among those who work <8 h per day.

Conclusion: Implementation of flexible working hours will be helpful for improving the QOL of employees.

Background: Radiology departments pose significant occupational hazards to healthcare workers due to complex equipment, hazardous materials, and high-risk procedures.

Aim: This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) of occupational hazards in a hospital radiology department to enhance staff safety.

Settings and design: The study was conducted in a large tertiary care hospital using a systematic FMEA approach.

Subject and methodology: Processes and systems within the radiology department were mapped, and potential failure modes were identified and assessed using a Risk Priority Number (RPN) scoring system.

Results: The FMEA identified critical failure modes across radiation safety, infection control, equipment maintenance, ergonomic issues, emergency preparedness, chemical safety, fire safety, and engineering controls, with associated RPN scores.

Conclusions: Proactive risk assessment through FMEA is crucial for improving occupational safety in radiology departments. Implementing identified control measures can significantly enhance the safety and well-being of healthcare workers.

The garment industry has experienced significant growth in the past decade, becoming a vital source of global employment. However, the mental wellbeing of garment industry workers has emerged as a growing concern. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the prevalence of depression and work-related stress among garment industry workers. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science, focusing on quantitative studies that reported data on depression and workplace stress among garment industry employees. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis, using a random effects model, revealed a pooled prevalence of 6% for depression and 14% for work-related stress. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² and χ² statistics. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions and support programs to address mental health challenges within the garment sector and to integrate these measures into existing occupational health programs.

Background and objectives: Job involvement (JI) is crucial for enhancing individual efficiency and productivity. Therefore, it is essential to identify the factors that influence it. This study evaluated the relationship between JI, ergonomic conditions, and mental health among clerical workers.

Materials and methods: In this analytical cross-sectional study, 240 staff members of the Central Welfare Organization in Tehran, Iran, aged between 30 and 45 years, were included through a stratified random sampling method. Ergonomic conditions were evaluated using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Participants completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Job Involvement Questionnaires.

Results: The participants had a mean age of 36.12 ± 5.27 years. The average RULA score was 3.80 ± 0.68. The mental health score was 21.87 ± 7.72, and the JI score was 46.12 ± 2.16. A significant association was found between JI and ergonomic conditions (r = -0.21, P = 0.001) and between JI and mental health (r = -0.321, P = 0.001).

Conclusion: Attention to mental health is essential for enhancing job involvement and overall productivity. Given the significant associations of JI with ergonomics and mental health, it is important to prioritize improving ergonomic conditions in the work environment to boost employees' job involvement.

Background: In line with the instruction of the Secretary of State of Spain 1/2024, police officers must ensure security during arrests and promote minimal harm, this investigation combines the rapid entire body assessment (REBA) and Marras methods, emphasizing the need to realistic training.

Research method: The study uses Rokoko Smartsuit Pro and Biomechanics of Bodies software to analyze possible injuries to police officers during use of force training. REBA identifies ergonomic risks, while Marras evaluates the probability of high risk. Basic technique number 1 of the Operational Tactical Procedures (OTP) was carried out by 11 police officers.

Results: The study analyzes, from the point of view of occupational risks, the training of police forces, in particular Basic Technique 1 in OTP, using the REBA and Marras methods. The maximum REBA scores indicate medium to high-risk levels, without reaching the maximum risk level, revealing that basic technique 1 is a well-designed intervention technique to reduce physical risks. The study integrates the results of REBA and Marras, presenting statistical regions of membership for three training level groups: expert, intermediate, and novice.

Conclusions: The conclusions of this study highlight the benefits of using the basic technique 1 of OTP to prevent risks of injury in police physical interventions.

Introduction: The online delivery executives concerned with doorstep delivery of commodities are highly vulnerable to Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs) because of their job designs. The present study evaluates the prevalence of WRMSDs among 103 online delivery executives.

Materials and methods: The study entails 39 online food delivery executives (FDE), 38 goods delivery executives (DE) and 26 rapid delivery executives (RDE) as experimental groups. 36 sedentary male clerical employees were also recruited as control group (CG) for comparison of WRMSDs to online delivery executives. For evaluating WRMSDs, Modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire (NMQ) was administered. For statistical analysis one way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni's post hoc analysis was performed. Pearson's correlation coefficient and simple linear regression analysis were performed to establish the relationship between work experience, work duration, load lifted, lifting frequency and average Body Part Discomfort (BPD) scores of the studied groups. For postural analysis, OWAS (Ovako Working Posture Analysis System) was implemented.

Results and discussion: Significant differences in body weight, body mass index (BMI), work duration, load lifted, lifting frequency and average BPD (Body Part Discomfort) scores existed between experimental and CG. Significant correlations were evident between work experience, work duration, load lifted, lifting frequency and average BPD scores in experimental groups. OWAS scores disclosed that experimental groups were more prone to WRMSDs than CG.

Conclusion: The study infers that delivery executives are extremely prone to WRMSDs on account of their occupational factors.