Assessment of mental workload and its association with work ability in control room operators.

Background: Modern technology has reduced physical workload and imposed high mental workload on the control room operators in industrial settings. The present study was conducted among control room operators to assess their mental workload, investigate their workability, examine the relationship between mental workload and workability, and determine the factors associated with workability.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 213 control room operators in six Iranian process industries.

Accessing free quality health care services and premature death.

Background: The type of health insurance may affect the likelihood of mortality of insured people. We conducted this study to determine if accessing free quality health care services could decrease the premature mortality of people in a developing country.

Methods: In a multicenter cross sectional study, "years-life-lost" (YLL) due to premature death was evaluated in 202 671 insured people residing in six large regions in Iran.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adult population in Shiraz, southern Iran.

Aim: Metabolic syndrome (MSx) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated the prevalence of MSx in adult population in Shiraz, southern Iran.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted between October 2012 and April 2013, using a simple random sampling method, 377 adults aged more than 20 years who were invited for periodic health examinations to Petroleum Industry Health Organization Polyclinic, a general health care center, Shiraz, southern Iran, were studied.