Article InfoBackground: The prevalence of hypertension (HTN) among Iranian taxi drivers has not been well defined. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HTN and to identify factors influencing its prevalence among Iranian taxi drivers in 2018. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on a total sample of 321 taxi drivers in Kermanshah province in 2018. The participants were classified into two groups, including the HTN group (SBP ≥ 140 or DBP ≥ 90) and the non-HTN group (SBP < 140 or DBP < 90). A self-administrated questionnaire, including questions about demographic information, medical history, and work-related factors was employed to collect data. Results: According to the observations, 59.8% of the participants (192/321) suffered from HTN. According to the adjusted logistic regression model and the per one unit increase, there was significantly higher odds of HTN for age (odds ratio [OR] =1.04 and 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.02, 1.06) and work history (OR=1.08 and 95% CI=1.03, 1.13); in contrast, there was a lower risk of HTN for sleep duration (OR=0.83 and 95% CI=0.69, 0.99) and Work Days Per Week (WDPW) (OR=0.73 and 95% CI=0.57, 0.94). In the categorical analysis, a significantly higher risk of HTN was observed in the drivers with age ≥ 45, work history ≥ 5, Work Hours Per Day (WHPD) >10, WDPW ≤ 6, married, and poor economic status ≤ a 2-million Toman income per month. Conclusions: This study introduces taxi drivers as a high-risk HTN group in the society. Hence, they should be informed of HTN risk factors and undergo regular checkups.

Article Info Background: Health care centers play an important role in providing health service to the public and maintaining the health of the community. This study was an attempt to evaluate the quality of work life and its association with job burnout and job performance among healthcare employees. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 136 employees of healthcare centers and health homes in Islamabad-e Gharb in 2016. The data collection tools were a demographic characteristics questionnaire, Walton's Quality of Work Life Questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Hersey and Goldsmith's Job Performance Questionnaire. The statistical analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, the spearman correlation coefficient, one-way ANOVAs, and independent t-tests. Results: The quality of work life was obtained to be low for only over a quarter of participants, whereas only 0.7% of them reported it to be high. The majority of respondents (72.63%), however, stated it as moderate. The quality of work life had a significant negative correlation with job burnout (r=-0.291 P = 0.001) and held a significant positive association with job performance (r=0.642 P = 0.000). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggested a clear link between the quality of working life and both job burnout and job performance. Therefore, taking actions such as providing opportunities for the staff to continue their education, increasing their salaries and benefits as well as promoting their jobs would be considered as common-sense approaches contributing to enhancing the quality of work life.

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The main risk factors were heavy weight and poor control of sugar bags. Virtual redesign can diminish bending and twisting postures, and, therefore, some resulting forces and moments.

Introduction: Few pieces of evidence are available about the association between occupational exposure to vegetable oil and the risk of blood lipid problems. This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between exposure to vegetable oil and blood lipid profile in a vegetable oil factory. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was carried out on 30 male workers exposed to vegetable oil as an exposed group and 30 male office workers as an unexposed group in a vegetable oil factory. Blood lipid profiles as total cholesterol, triglycerides, Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) were measured by analyzing the blood samples in both groups in a clinical laboratory. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, body weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), and physical activity. The results showed significantly higher mean levels of triglyceride and LDL in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group (P < 0.001), while HDL mean levels in the exposed group were significantly lower than the unexposed group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings revealed the possible association between blood lipid disorders and occupational exposures to vegetable oil. Further researches are proposed to study the mechanisms of occupational respiratory and skin lipid absorptions in different types of vegetable oils.