The effect and durability of functional exercises on Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) scores in people with intellectual disabilities: a preliminary report.

BACKGROUND: Problems and limitations of movement in individuals with ID are highly common, which particularly may cause the loss of basic performance and limit the person's independence in doing their daily activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect and durability of functional exercises on balance evaluation systems test (BESTest) scores of individuals with ID. METHODS: In the present study, 34 participants with ID were selected randomly and divided into three groups: training groups [unstable group (UG); n = 12; age = 21.46 ± 5.37 years and stable group (SG); n = 12; age = 18.50 ± 2.11 years] or the control group (CG; n = 10; age = 19.50 ± 1.27 years). The postural stability measure was collected with the BESTest. The training groups did the functional exercises for 8 weeks, 3 days/week and 1 h/day. The control group did not experience any training. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS 22 software on a significance level (P < 0.05). RESULTS: Both UG and SG training improved the outcome measures [biomechanical constraints (F = 14.04; P = 0.001), limits of stability/verticality (F = 54.39; P = 0.001), postural responses (F = 26.28; P = 0.001), anticipatory postural adjustment (F = 22.72; P = 0.001), stability in gait (F = 51.95; P = 0.001), sensory orientation (F = 83.87; P = 0.001) and total score (F = 114.1; P = 0.001)]. These improvements were maintained at a 1-month follow-up, although the effect was slightly reduced. The results showed that the training group at an unstable level has more balanced improvement compared to the training group at a stable level. CONCLUSION: This study presents evidence that functional exercises can be recognised as a comprehensive and effective mediator in the improvement of balance in individuals with ID and also affect performance and movement activities.

The effect of work-related psychosocial stressors on musculoskeletal disorder symptoms in hospital attendants.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial stress at work is an important issue among hospital attendants. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine psychosocial stressors in the work environment and assess their impacts on WMSD symptoms among hospital attendants in Shiraz, southern Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 198 hospital attendants from Shiraz. The study data were collected using a basic demographic questionnaire, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), the Persian version of Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (F-ERIQ), and an individual risk assessment (Evaluación del Riesgo Individual [ERIN]). The data were entered into SPSS version 16 and analyzed using Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square, and Spearman's correlation tests. RESULTS: The prevalence of WMSD symptoms was 29.8% in the lower back, 25.3% in knees, and 20.7% in ankles/feet. Posture analysis by the ERIN technique demonstrated that 95.5% of the postures were high risk for WMSDs. F-ERIQ identified that 83.4% of the hospital attendants belonged to the "1 < ER-ratio" category. Besides, the "effort" subscale of the F-ERIQ was significantly associated with reporting of MSD symptoms in the neck, shoulders, wrists/hands, and lower back. In addition, a significant correlation was observed between effort (r = 0.367, p = 0.028), esteem (r = -0.273, p = 0.041), security (r = -0.253, p = 0.045), and over-commitment (r = 0.301, p = 0.019) and the total score of the ERIN technique. CONCLUSION: Intervention programs and coping strategies for reduction of work-related stress and, subsequently, prevention of WMSD symptoms are recommended among hospital attendants.

The effect of musculoskeletal problems on fatigue and productivity of office personnel: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) can impact on fatigue and productivity of office workers. This study aimed to investigate the effect of musculoskeletal problems on fatigue and productivity among office personnel. METHODS: This study was performed on 101 Iranian office workers. Data were gathered through a demographic questionnaire, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Numeric Rating Scale, Persian version of Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue Scale, and Persian version of Health and Work Questionnaire. RESULTS: The results revealed that the highest prevalence rates of musculoskeletal symptoms in the past week were related to neck (41.6%), lower back (41.6%), and shoulders (40.6%). The mean score of discomfort/pain was 1.67, 1.55, and 1.31 in the neck, lower back, and shoulders, respectively. Additionally, the severity of discomfort/pain in neck, shoulders, lower back, and thighs was correlated to total fatigue. The severity of discomfort/pain in neck, lower back, buttock, and thighs was also correlated to the concentration/focus subscale of productivity. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement of working conditions is suggested to reduce musculoskeletal problems and fatigue and enhance productivity.

Ergonomic workplace assessment in orthotic and prosthetic workshops.

BACKGROUND: In Iranian orthotic and prosthetic workshops, the majority of activities are carried out by manpower and the tasks are labor-intensive. In these workshops, ergonomic aspects of working conditions are seldom considered. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted in orthotic and prosthetic workshops with the objectives of determination of prevalence rate of MSDs among employees and assessment of ergonomics working conditions. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, all employees (n = 42; 29 males and 13 females) in 11 active orthotic and prosthetic production centers of Shiraz city participated. Data were collected using Nordic Musculoskeletal disorders Questionnaire (NMQ) and observational technique by an ergonomics checklist for assessment of working conditions. RESULTS: The means (SD) of age and job tenure (years) in the study individuals were 37.26 (10.21) and 12.8 (9.39), respectively. The most prevalent MSD symptoms in the past 12 months were reported in the lower back (42.9%), shoulders (40.5%) and knees (40.5%). Working conditions assessment showed that the main ergonomic problems in the workshops studied originated from awkward working posture, improper workstation design, poorly designed hand tools and incorrect manual material handling. CONCLUSION: Any interventional program for working conditions improvement should, therefore, focus on these areas.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among employees of Iranian petrochemical industries: October 2009 to December 2012.

BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a common health problem throughout the world and a major cause of disability in the workplace. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence rate of MSDs, assessment of ergonomics working conditions and identification of major risk factors associated with MSDs symptoms among employees of Iranian petrochemical industries between October 2009 and December 2012. METHODS: In this study, we studied 1184 randomly selected employees of 4 Iranian petrochemical companies with at least one year of work experience in office or operational units. For those with office jobs, data were collected using Nordic Musculoskeletal disorders Questionnaire (NMQ) and ergonomics checklist for the assessment of working conditions. For those with operational jobs, NMQ and Quick Exposure Check (QEC) method were used for data collection. RESULTS: The most prevalent MSD symptoms were reported in lower back (41.5%) and neck (36.5%). The prevalence of MSDs in all body regions but elbows and thighs of the office staff was significantly higher than that of operational workers. Assessment of working conditions in office staff revealed that the lowest index was attributed to workstation. QEC technique among operational workers showed that in 73.8% of the workers studied, the level of exposure to musculoskeletal risks was "high" or "very high." MSDs were associated with type of job, age, body mass index, work experience, gender, marital status, educational level and type of employment. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MSDs in the office staff was higher than that of operational workers. Level of exposure to MSDs risk was high in operational workers. Corrective measures are thus necessary for improving working conditions for both office and operational units.