Majid Fallahi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Majid Fallahi

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BACKGROUND: The nail job is a new occupation in which the number of people who choose this job is... more BACKGROUND: The nail job is a new occupation in which the number of people who choose this job is rising. Therefore, the harmful hazards affecting the health of the practitioners should be taken into account. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ergonomics and occupational health hazards among nail technicians in Iranian society. METHODS: The self-administered questionnaire, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Novel Ergonomic Postural Assessment (NERPA) method were used to gather data from 80 female nail technicians who participated in this study. RESULTS: More than half of the participants (67.6%) complained of coughing and eye irritation (70%) which was the most frequently reported irritation. The final score of the NERPA was at a high-risk level and the neck pain (63.8%) was the highest in comparison with other parts of the body. There was a significant relationship between activity type with disorder in the neck, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle. Lighting ...

Occupational medicine & health affairs, Jul 29, 2014

Introduction: Long term exposure to electromagnetic fields can cause chronic fatigue syndrome and... more Introduction: Long term exposure to electromagnetic fields can cause chronic fatigue syndrome and hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields and causes symptoms such as redness, itching and irritation, fatigue, headache, trouble concentrating, nausea and heart palpitations. The aim of study was survey of self-reported nonspecific symptoms for laptop users at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in the summer of 2012, and the study population consisted of 40 graduate students in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Self-reported nonspecific symptoms of laptop users were studied using a standard questionnaire which considered the prevalence of non-specific symptoms in laptop users. Analysis of data was performed using SPSS (version 18) statistical software. Results: The findings of the study showed that the prevalence of self-reported symptoms was high in users and the most common disorders were sleep (approximately 65%). There was a significant relationship between experience of laptop using and symptoms such as poor concentration, irritability and aggression, unusual headaches and sleep disorders (P<0.05). Further more, the relationship between hours of daily use from the laptop and symptoms such as feelings of dizziness and imbalance, anxiety, unusual headaches, increased symptoms of depression and sleep disturbances were also statistically significant (P<0.05). No statistical correlation was observed between the laptop type and the prevalence of non-specific symptoms (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results of study indicate that reviewed symptoms have high prevalence and the highest prevalence is related to sleep disturbances and unusual headaches are the least common. The results showed that the experience and daily use of laptop should be considered as risk factors.

Health Promotion Perspectives, 2016

Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the operators' mental workload (MW) of cement, ci... more Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the operators' mental workload (MW) of cement, city traffic control and power plant control centers using subjective and objective measures during system vital parameters monitoring. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2014 to February 2015 at the cement, city traffic control and power plant control centers. Electrocardiography and electroencephalography data were recorded from forty males during performing their daily working in resting, low mental workload (LMW), high mental workload (HMW) and recovery conditions (each block 5 minutes). The NASA-Task Load Index (TLX) was used to evaluate the subjective workload of the operators. Results: The results showed that increasing MW had a significant effect on the operators subjective responses in two conditions ([1,53] = 216.303, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.803). Also,the Task-MW interaction effect on operators subjective responses was significant (F [3, 53] = 12.628, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.417). Analysis of repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that increasing mental demands had a significant effect on heart rate, low frequency/high frequency ratio, theta and alpha band activity. Conclusion: The results suggested that when operators' mental demands especially in traffic control and power plant tasks increased, their mental fatigue and stress level increased and their mental health deteriorated. Therefore, it may be necessary to implement an ergonomic program or administrative control to manage mental probably health in these control centers. Furthermore, by evaluating MW, the control center director can organize the human resources for each MW condition to sustain the appropriate performance as well as improve system functions.

Journal of Occupational Health, 2012

that many welders have been exposed to higher concentrations of Mn-containing welding fumes. Urin... more that many welders have been exposed to higher concentrations of Mn-containing welding fumes. Urinary Mn can be used as a biomarker for Mn exposure. There were weak inverse correlations between Mn-containing welding fumes and pulmonary function indices, and the inverse correlation between urinary Mn with forced vital capacities (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was significant.

International Gambling Studies, 2003

Physiological and subjective arousal in lounge and laboratory conditions were explored using hear... more Physiological and subjective arousal in lounge and laboratory conditions were explored using heart rate (HR), skin conductance (SCL) and subjective ratings for a community sample (N=30) of video lottery terminal gamblers (14 non-pathological gamblers [NPG] and 16 probable pathological gamblers [PPG]). For all participants, mean heart rates and ratings of subjective arousal were higher in the lounge situation, while SCL did not differ between locations. SCL increased over baseline when gambling in both situations. HR initially increased over baseline in the lounge situation only, but by the end of gambling HR increased in both situations. HR, SCL, and subjective reports were moderately correlated between venues. No correlations were found between subjective and physiological measures of arousal.

Iran Occupational Health http://ioh.iums.ac.ir Iran Occupational Health. 2020 (4 Apr);17:1. Origi... more Iran Occupational Health http://ioh.iums.ac.ir Iran Occupational Health. 2020 (4 Apr);17:1. Original Article Lighting and color temperature assessment in the office workplaces and relationship to visual fatigue Rostam Golmohammadi, (*Corresponding author), Professor, Department of Occupational Health, School of Health and Center for Health Sciences Research, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran. golmohamadi@umsha.ac.ir Zahra Pirmoradi, MSc, Department of Occupational Hygiene, School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Majid Motamedzadeh Torghabeh, Professor, Department of Ergonomics, School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Javad Fardmal, Professor, Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Ham dan, Iran

Noise is a common harmful agent in workplace (1-5). Nearly 600 million workers around the world a... more Noise is a common harmful agent in workplace (1-5). Nearly 600 million workers around the world and millions of workers in Iran are con-

Iran Occupational Health, 2018

Abstract Background and aims: Modern technology has imposed more cognitive demands than physical ... more Abstract Background and aims: Modern technology has imposed more cognitive demands than physical demands to operators in most workplaces. The increase of cognitive demands in real working conditions can have negative effect on the mental health and performance of operators. This study was coducted with the aim of subjective and objective evaluation of operators' mental workload in a city traffic control room. Methods: In this study 16 opeartors of a traffic control center participated voluntarily. In setteled day at resting condition the physiological indices were measured for 5 minutes before the work started and after it was finished for each operator. Regarding to the city traffic density (low and high mental work conditions) the physiological indices were measured for 5 minuts in each condition. Also at the end of each condition the NASA-TLX questionaire was completed by each operator. The data were analysed using t-test and repaeated measure analysis of variance by SPSS.21 software. Results: The Results of our paired t-test showed a significant differences between the subjective responses of operators in all dimensions of NASA-TLX except for physical demand in low mental workload condition compared to high mental workload.The Findings of the repeated measures of ANOVA showed that there is a significant differences between the mean of heart rate, SDNN, RMSSD and LF/HF ratio features by increasing difficulty of mental work compared to before and after rests among operators. Conclusion: Our finding indicated that with increasing traffic density a lot of mental load imposed to operators maybe causing mental health problem and decreasing performance among operators in future. Therfore, in the traffic control room, organizing and managing human resources based on the workload in different working conditions is recommended. Keywords: Work load, Heart rates, NASA-Task load index, Traffic control center.

Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering

Background and Objective: Nail extension is a profession which has been entered Iran recently and... more Background and Objective: Nail extension is a profession which has been entered Iran recently and is expanding vastly. Every profession has its own harmful effects. Accordingly, nail salon workers are exposed to ergonomic risk factors due to their awkward posture and equipment and the applied tools. Regarding this, the present study was conducted to evaluate the ergonomic status of nail salon workers in Sabzevar, Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive analytical study was performed on nail workers working in beauty salons. The determination of the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was accomplished using Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire; furthermore, a novel ergonomic postural assessment (NERPA) method was utilized to evaluate body posture while working. Additionally, the lighting of the work surface was measured to determine its association with musculoskeletal disorders. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 17). Results: According to the results, the highest prevalence of pain was observed in the neck (63.8%), followed by the upper back (51.3%), waist (42.5%), shoulder (41.3%), and wrist (37.6%). Body posture assessment by means of NERPA method also showed that the final score was at the highest level (i.e., score 7 representing the need for immediate change) in all cases (100%). In addition, the intensity of the work surface local lighting was lower than the mandatory occupational exposure limit value of Iran (46.81%). Conclusion: As the finding indicated, musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent among nail workers given the unfamiliarity of this profession and lack of sufficient monitoring by occupational hygiene inspectors. Consequently, health care organizations should pay more attention to establish rules and standards to reduce these complications.

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 2016

Abstract Introduction It is important to evaluate when and why the mental workload of operators i... more Abstract Introduction It is important to evaluate when and why the mental workload of operators increases during system operation. The city traffic control center (TCC) is a complex work system, and it is important to describe MW as a condition related to this. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mental workload of operators while monitoring traffic loads in the city TCC. Methods Electroencephalography and electrooculography data were collected from 16 operators while performing their daily work, in four conditions: resting state, low traffic density, high traffic density, and recovery. The Simplified-Subjective Workload Assessment Technique (S-SWAT) was used to evaluate the subjective workload of operators. Results The findings indicate that operators experience a larger mental workload during high traffic density than during low traffic density ( p p Conclusion Although the working situations of TCC operators are repeated daily, their mental fatigue and stress level gradually increase, leading to deterioration in their mental health. It may be necessary periodically to monitor their mental health and to consider their organizational behavior during traffic density monitoring. Relevance to industry complex work systems have increased the requirement for many operators to conduct mental tasks in real work conditions such as city traffic density monitoring. When evaluating such workplaces, it is important to identify situations requiring increased mental workload that might impose additional stress on operators, decreasing their performance. Based on the results, the traffic control center director would be aware of the MW condition of the operators.

Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the operators' mental workload (MW) of cement... more Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the operators' mental workload (MW) of cement, city traffic control and power plant control centers using subjective and objective measures during system vital parameters monitoring. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2014 to February 2015 at the cement, city traffic control and power plant control centers. Electrocardiography and electroencephalography data were recorded from forty males during performing their daily working in resting, low mental workload (LMW), high mental workload (HMW) and recovery conditions (each block 5 minutes). The NASA-Task Load Index (TLX) was used to evaluate the subjective workload of the operators. Results: The results showed that increasing MW had a significant effect on the operators subjective responses in two conditions ([1,53] = 216.303, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.803). Also,the Task-MW interaction effect on operators subjective responses was significant (F [3, 53] = 12.628, P...

Applied Ergonomics, 2016

This study evaluated operators&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; mental workload while mon... more This study evaluated operators&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; mental workload while monitoring traffic density in a city traffic control center. To determine the mental workload, physiological signals (ECG, EMG) were recorded and the NASA-Task Load Index (TLX) was administered for 16 operators. The results showed that the operators experienced a larger mental workload during high traffic density than during low traffic density. The traffic control center stressors caused changes in heart rate variability features and EMG amplitude, although the average workload score was significantly higher in HTD conditions than in LTD conditions. The findings indicated that increasing traffic congestion had a significant effect on HR, RMSSD, SDNN, LF/HF ratio, and EMG amplitude. The results suggested that when operators&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; workload increases, their mental fatigue and stress level increase and their mental health deteriorate. Therefore, it maybe necessary to implement an ergonomic program to manage mental health. Furthermore, by evaluating mental workload, the traffic control center director can organize the center&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s traffic congestion operators to sustain the appropriate mental workload and improve traffic control management.

Noise-induced hearing loss, which is one of the 10 leading occupational diseases, is a debilitati... more Noise-induced hearing loss, which is one of the 10 leading occupational diseases, is a debilitating and irreversible disease. During the recent 15-years period (1997-2012), several studies have investigated the association between noise, hearing damage and other side effects of noise in Iran. The aim of this study was to review systematically the relevant literature related to noise-induced hearing loss, lead to developing noise exposure limits. In this systematic review, two researchers independently extracted the data from 31 past studies that had considered noise-induced hearing loss (including hearing loss, temporary and permanent hearing threshold shift and auditory trauma). The data were then recorded in a modified form and Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, version 16.0. In analyzed studies the weighted average equivalent sound pressure level [LAeq] was 90.29 dB(A) and average hearing loss was 26.44 dB(A). The Highest degree of hearing loss in the right ear was associated at 4000 Hz, and the highest degree of hearing loss in the left ear was associated to 1000 and 4000 Hz. The majority of the reviewed studies have confirmed that exposure to a noise level above 85 dB (A) can lead to an increased chance of hearing loss. Furthermore, the results of the present review indicated that as LAeq increased up to 85 dB(A), so did the severity of the hearing loss.

Introduction: Electromagnetic field emitted by laptops are known as extremely low frequency (ELF)... more Introduction: Electromagnetic field emitted by laptops are known as extremely low frequency (ELF) Waves. The aim of this study was to investigate the intensity of electric and magnetic field with extremely low frequency emitted by common laptops. Material and Method: Intensity of electric and magnetic field were measured on four sides of 40 common by used laptop at the distance of 30, 60 and 90 cm. Measurements ere done according to standard in four functional model including: non-performing turned on, sleep mode, performing office program and performing audio visual files. Result: Magnetic field values for all laptops were almost constant and about 28-32 mA/m. The results of measurements related to the electric field showed different values at distances of 30, 60 and 90 cm around the laptops on four sides. Moreover, mean electric field on the keyboard at the four operating modes were statistically different for DELL and hp laptops (P< 0/05). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that laptops produce extremely low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields which their intensity depends on laptop type, laptop operation mode and the location of the measurement.

Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the most important occupational health issues in the world. ... more Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the most important occupational health issues in the world. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 333 stay-at-home working mothers. We used modified Nordic questionnaire for this study. Data was collected by trained interviewers. Results: The most common musculoskeletal disorders were in the low back (49.5%), neck (24.1%), and shoulder (21.2%) areas. The results showed that there were significant relationships between low back and knee pain and BMI (p=0.008), between shoulder pain and laundry method (p=0.04), between leg pain and house cleaning method (p=0.01), and between knee pain and use of stairways (p=0.004). Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and the use of various devices in household chores. More research is recommended to clearly