Background: Job safety analysis (JSA) is a popular technique for hazard identification and risk assessment in workplaces that has been applied across a wide range of industries. This systematic review was conducted to answer four main questions regarding JSA: (1) which sectors and areas have used JSA? (2) What has been the aim of employing JSA? (3) What are the shortcomings of JSA? (4) What are the new advances in the field of JSA? Methods: Three main international databases were searched: SCOPUS, Web of Science, and PubMed. After screening and eligibility assessment, 49 articles were included. Results: Construction industries have used JSA the most, followed by process industries and healthcare settings. Hazard identification is the main aim of JSA, but it has been used for other purposes as well. Being time-consuming, the lack of an initial list of hazards, the lack of a universal risk assessment method, ignoring hazards from the surrounding activities, ambiguities regarding the team implementing JSA, and ignorance of the hierarchy of controls were the main shortcomings of JSA based on previous studies. Conclusion In recent years, there have been interesting advances in JSA making attempts to solve shortcomings of the technique. A seven-step JSA was recommended to cover most shortcomings reported by studies.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have shown that the rate of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) is unacceptably high in Iranian hospitals. The aim of the present study was to use a systematic approach to predict and reduce these injuries. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Eleven variables thought to affect NSIs were categorized based on the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework and modeled using a Bayesian network. A self-administered validated questionnaire was used to collect the required data. In total, 343 cases were used to train the model and 50 cases were used to test the model. Model performance was assessed using various indices. Finally, using predictive reasoning, several intervention strategies for reducing NSIs were recommended. RESULTS: The Bayesian network HFACS model was able to predict 86% of new cases correctly. The analyses showed that safety motivation and fatigue were the most important contributors to NSIs. Supervisors' attitude toward safety and working hours per week were the most important factors in the unsafe supervision category. Management commitment and staffing were the most important organizational-level factors affecting NSIs. Finally, promising intervention strategies for reducing NSIs were identified and discussed. CONCLUSIONS: To reduce NSIs, both management commitment and sufficient staffing are necessary. Supervisors should encourage nurses to engage in safe behavior. Excessive working hours result in fatigue and increase the risk of NSIs.
Accident Prevention ; Bayes Theorem ; Classification ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Iran* ; Motivation ; Needlestick Injuries* ; Organization and Administration

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have shown that the rate of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) is unacceptably high in Iranian hospitals. The aim of the present study was to use a systematic approach to predict and reduce these injuries. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Eleven variables thought to affect NSIs were categorized based on the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework and modeled using a Bayesian network. A self-administered validated questionnaire was used to collect the required data. In total, 343 cases were used to train the model and 50 cases were used to test the model. Model performance was assessed using various indices. Finally, using predictive reasoning, several intervention strategies for reducing NSIs were recommended. RESULTS: The Bayesian network HFACS model was able to predict 86% of new cases correctly. The analyses showed that safety motivation and fatigue were the most important contributors to NSIs. Supervisors' attitude toward safety and working hours per week were the most important factors in the unsafe supervision category. Management commitment and staffing were the most important organizational-level factors affecting NSIs. Finally, promising intervention strategies for reducing NSIs were identified and discussed. CONCLUSIONS To reduce NSIs, both management commitment and sufficient staffing are necessary. Supervisors should encourage nurses to engage in safe behavior. Excessive working hours result in fatigue and increase the risk of NSIs.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have shown that the rate of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) is unacceptably high in Iranian hospitals. The aim of the present study was to use a systematic approach to predict and reduce these injuries.METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Eleven variables thought to affect NSIs were categorized based on the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework and modeled using a Bayesian network. A self-administered validated questionnaire was used to collect the required data. In total, 343 cases were used to train the model and 50 cases were used to test the model. Model performance was assessed using various indices. Finally, using predictive reasoning, several intervention strategies for reducing NSIs were recommended.RESULTS: The Bayesian network HFACS model was able to predict 86% of new cases correctly. The analyses showed that safety motivation and fatigue were the most important contributors to NSIs. Supervisors' attitude toward safety and working hours per week were the most important factors in the unsafe supervision category. Management commitment and staffing were the most important organizational-level factors affecting NSIs. Finally, promising intervention strategies for reducing NSIs were identified and discussed.CONCLUSIONS: To reduce NSIs, both management commitment and sufficient staffing are necessary. Supervisors should encourage nurses to engage in safe behavior. Excessive working hours result in fatigue and increase the risk of NSIs.
Accident Prevention ; Bayes Theorem ; Classification ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Iran ; Motivation ; Needlestick Injuries ; Organization and Administration

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study. PURPOSE: To validate the Persian version of the Million Visual Analogue Scale Questionnaire (MVAS), a self-administered low back pain (LBP) questionnaire. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The majority of LBP questionnaires translated into Persian evaluate the impact of LBP on daily living. The MVAS is one of the most commonly used self-administered LBP questionnaires, and was developed to assess a different direction and effect of activities of daily living on LBP intensity. METHODS: The questionnaire was translated into Persian with the forward-backward method and was administered to 150 patients randomly sampled from an occupational medicine clinic in Tehran in 2017. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha for all subscales ranged between 0.670 and 0.799. Confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate construct validity of the Persian version of the MVAS, with root mean square error of approximation 0.046, goodness of fit index 0.902, and comparative fit index 0.969. Other indexes were satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: The Persian MVAS is a valid and reliable instrument that can assess the effect of various daily activities on the intensity of LBP.
Activities of Daily Living ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Methods ; Occupational Medicine ; Pain Measurement

Objectives: The health system reform process is highly political and controversial, and in most cases, it fails to realize its intended goals. This study was conducted to synthesize factors underlying the failure of health system reforms. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-synthesis, we searched 9 international and regional databases to identify qualitative and mixed-methods studies published up to December 2019. Using thematic synthesis, we analyzed the data. We utilized the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist for quality assessment. Results: After application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 40 of 1837 articles were included in the content analysis. The identified factors were organized into 7 main themes and 32 sub-themes. The main themes included: (1) reforms initiators’ attitudes and knowledge; (2) weakness of political support; (3) lack of interest group support; (4) insufficient comprehensiveness of the reform; (5) problems related to the implementation of the reform; (6) harmful consequences of reform implementation; and (7) the political, economic, cultural, and social conditions of the society in which the reform takes place. Conclusions Health system reform is a deep and extensive process, and shortcomings and weaknesses in each step have overcome health reform attempts in many countries. Awareness of these failure factors and appropriate responses to these issues can help policymakers properly plan and implement future reform programs and achieve the ultimate goals of reform: to improve the quantity and quality of health services and the health of society.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Myrtus communis (M. communis) L. against Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (E. rhusiopathiae) in vitro.

METHODSWild populations of M. communis collected from Khuzestan and Lorestan provinces, Southwest Iran, were examined for antibacterial activity and chemical variability in leaves. The in vitro antibacterial activity against E. rhusiopathiae was performed by agar disc diffusion and micro-dilution assays.

RESULTSThe essential oils of M. communis have strong antibacterial against E. rhusiopathiae in both assays. The results showed that the major components of the oil were α-pinene (22.3%-55.2%), 1,8-cineole (8.7%-43.8%) and linalool (6.4%-14.5%). The inhibition zones and MIC values for bacteria which were sensitive to the essential oils of M. communis were in the range of 14.7-27.0 mm and 0.031-0.25 mg/mL, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThis study demonstrates that products with valuable antibacterial activity can be produced from leaves of M. communis against E. rhusiopathiae.

AIM: To analyze ocular biometric parameters among candidates for cataract surgery.METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 4 607 cataract patients(4 607 eyes)in Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran, Iran from January 2017 to September 2021. Axial length(AL), keratometry(Kf, Ks and Km), and anterior chamber depth(ACD)were assessed using IOLMaster 700. All eyes were categorized into three groups based on AL: short eyes(22 mm25 mm)and ACD as follows: low(3.00 mm3.60 mm).RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 60.3±14.1(range 8-95)years [2 243(48.69%)female and 2 364(51.31%)male]. The AL, ACD and mean keratometry ranges were 23.1 to 23.4 mm, 3.1 to 3.2 mm and 44.50 to 45.00 diopter(D), respectively. The mean amount of ACD in the long eyes group was significantly higher than the normal and short eyes group(P<0.001). The mean AL in the high ACD group was significantly higher than low and normal ACD patients(P<0.001). But the mean of Kf, Ks and Km in the low ACD and long eyes group was significantly higher than in high ACD and short AL groups(P<0.001).CONCLUSION: Those candidates with long eyes had deeper ACD with flatter cornea; while short eyes had shallower ACD with steeper cornea. Also, patients with high ACD had longer AL with flatter cornea, and patients with low ACD had lower AL with steeper cornea.