Occupational Work Research Articles

COVID-19 Pandemic's Effects on Occupational Health and Perceived Work Ability of a Large Group of Italian Banking Employees.

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled changes to the structure and organization of many occupational sectors that may impact workers' well-being and work-related symptoms. Evaluate the effects of working modifications related to the COVID-19 pandemic on occupational health outcomes and work ability (WA) among a large group of Italian banking employees. 2,859 employees visited during health surveillance in 2021 were divided into two job groups: front-office (FO) and back-office workers (BO). Data on conditions associated with office work, psychological distress, WA, and fitness-to-work judgment were analyzed and compared with available data from the pre-pandemic period (2018-2019). The prevalence of analyzed outcomes was lower than in pre- and post-COVID evaluation literature. After COVID-19, a 28% increase in asthenopin was found in BO, while musculoskeletal symptoms increased about 22% in BO and 9% in FO. Post-COVID showed a 28% rise in stress-related symptoms and a 17% increase in psychotropic drug consumption in both groups. After the lockdown, the prevalence of moderate/poor scores decreased by 13% in each group. Fitness-to-work judgment without limitations prevalence was unchanged. The slight worsening in all examined outcomes at post-lockdown evaluation and the outcomes' prevalence consistently lower than the literature data could be linked to the measures the Institute took to support employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, a comprehensive integration between occupational safety and health promotion practices is recommended to ensure the highest level of safeguarding for workers' well-being.

Analysis Factors Associated with Work Accidents Among House Construction Workers in Karang Ayu

Globally, work-related injuries are a significant public health and economic issue, with approximately 5-7% of all deaths in industrialized countries caused by work-related injuries. Each year, work accidents cause 350,000 deaths and 270 million non-fatal serious injuries. Due to its high burden of occupational hazards, the construction industry is more at risk than other industries. Compared with workers in different occupations, building construction workers are three to four times more likely to die and twice as likely to be injured than workers in other occupations. This study aims to analyze the factors associated with the incidence of work accidents among house construction workers in Karangayu, Semarang Barat. This study used descriptive qualitative methods, including observation, interviews, and questionnaires. The result of this study is that factors can cause work accidents, such as age, unsafe actions such as not using PPE properly, and worker knowledge, which leads to unsafe actions. Still, in this observation, there are driving factors behind workers' unsafe actions, one of which is the non-compliance of house construction workers in Karangayu, Semarang.

Evolution of Diagnostic Medical Physics Enterprise.

The roles and responsibilities of radiation safety officers (RSO), medical health physicists (MHP) and diagnostic medical physicists (DMP) have evolved significantly over the past 20 years. With the availability of enterprise software systems and aggregated data platforms for various radiologic healthcare systems, the roles of these professions are expanding beyond their original scopes in managing the Radioactive Materials License (RSO, MHP) and Machine Specific Physics Testing (DMP). Workers in medical radiation safety are transitioning from siloed workers working within their specific disciplines as new emerging technology and clinical care require these roles to evolve. This paper aims to demonstrate the value in embracing the change in these roles to better serve the patients and occupational workers RSOs, MHPs, and DMPs serve. As medical physics enterprise solutions evolve, so will the relationships between these valuable stakeholders.

Occupational Stress and Work Engagement: The Psychological Capital as A Moderator

This study aims to examine how job stress and interactions at work are affected, as well as how psychological capital acts as a moderator. This research is descriptive, and it falls within the category of applied research in terms of its goal. The research's statistical population comprised 450 personnel and professionals from Basra Petrochemical Industry General Company. 207 people made up the sample size according to Cochran's formula, and a straightforward random sampling technique chose the sample members. The findings indicated that work interactions negatively influence job stress. Psychological capital moderates the link between occupational stress and psychological capital.

Associations between volatile organic compounds exposure and multiple oxidative damage biomarkers: Method development, human exposure, and application for e-waste pollution prediction

Atmospheric monitoring studies reveal substantial health risks from exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for workers and nearby children in e-waste recycling areas (ERA), yet internal exposure risks are seldom examined. To address this, we developed a method to simultaneously analyze 12 urinary VOC metabolites (mVOCs) and oxidative damage biomarkers (ODBs) in workers and children from ERA and general adults from control areas using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole/orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Orbitrap-HRMS). The results showed that e-waste workers exhibited significantly higher levels of VOC exposure and ODBs than e-waste children and control adults. Exceeding 91.1 %, 69.1 %, 20.8 %, 19.7 %, and 3.26 % of e-waste workers faced non-carcinogenic risk from exposure to acrolein, acrylonitrile, acrylamide, 1,3-butadiene, and 1,2-dichloroethane, respectively. The weighted quantile sum, quantile g-computation, and Bayesian kernel machine regression models consistently indicated significant positive associations between these VOC mixtures and cholesterol ODB levels (i.e., glycocholic acid, cholic acid, and glycochenodeoxycholic acid), highlighting the necessity for improved protective measures for occupational workers. Interestingly, cholesterol ODBs significantly mediated the association between VOCs exposure and nucleic acid ODBs, accounting for 12.0–26.0 % of the association with 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (an oxidative DNA damage biomarker) and 25.4–53.4 % with 8-hydroxyguanosine (an oxidative RNA damage biomarker). This suggests that cholesterol ODBs potentially serve as better indicators of health risks from VOC exposure than nucleic acid ODBs. Additionally, the combination of mVOCs and ODBs (Mean AUC: 0.906, ACC: 0.821) as exposure fingerprints outperformed either mVOCs (Mean AUC: 0.878, ACC: 0.802) or ODBs (Mean AUC: 0.843, ACC: 0.768) alone in predicting the presence of e-waste pollution, underscoring the importance of integrating exposure and effect biomarker fingerprints to accurately capture e-waste pollution characteristic. Our findings offer a novel approach for screening e-waste pollution in unknow e-waste recycling sites and provide a foundation for developing high-precision prediction models for other polluting industries.

Occupational exposure to inhalable agents is associated with reduced work ability: A prospective cohort study in Norway.

This study aimed to assess work ability score (WAS) in 2018 based on self-reported data regarding inhalable occupational exposure and data from a northern European job-exposure matrix (N-JEM) recorded in 2013. During the 5-year follow-up period of this population-based study, 4423 participants completed a postal questionnaire comprising self-reported questions regarding occupational exposure, work history, and WAS. Ever, weekly, and daily exposure to vapors, gas, dust and fumes (VGDF) in the last 5 years in 2013 was associated with reduced WAS in 2018. The N-JEM data showed that exposure to irritants, wood and paper dust, and mixed agricultural agents were associated with reduced WAS. Exposure to several occupational inhalable substances is associated with reduced work ability. We recommend reducing inhalable occupational exposure to prevent reduced work ability.

Interplay analysis of lead exposure with key cardiovascular gene polymorphisms on blood pressure in a cross-sectional study of occupational workers

An increasing number of studies have shown that lead is an important cardiovascular risk factor, but the impact of cardiovascular related gene polymorphisms on lead induced cardiovascular diseases is still unclear. To assess the interaction of lead exposure and related key cardiovascular regulating gene polymorphisms on blood pressure traits, three single-nucleotide polymorphisms including NOTCH1 rs3124591, Cerebral cavernous malformations 3 (CCM3) rs3804610 and Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 (VEGFR2) rs2305948 were selected and genotyped using improved multiplex ligase detection reaction method in 568 lead exposure workers in South China. General characteristics, blood lead and biochemical parameters including glucose, lipid profile and creatinine were also collected according to standard protocols. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of blood pressure with lead exposure, polymorphisms and their interaction. This study displayed that CCM3 rs3804610 had a positive interaction with lead and VEGFR2 rs2305948 had a negative interaction with lead. Specifcally, compared with the wild-type population, the blood lead of the genotype population carrying the risk allele increased by 1 µg/dL, systolic blood pressure increased by 0.53 mmHg (p < 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure increased by 0.34 mmHg (p < 0.05) for CCM3 rs3804610, and systolic blood pressure decreased by 0.28 mmHg (p < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure decreased by 0.22 mmHg (p < 0.05) for VEGFR2 rs2305948. Thus our findings showed that the interaction between CCM3 rs3804610 and VEGFR2 rs2305948 and lead exposure were associated with blood pressure and may provide guidance for future research on hypertension prevention and personalized clinical treatment in lead exposed populations.

The interaction between plasma polymetals and lifestyle on cognitive dysfunction in occupational aluminum exposed workers: A cross-sectional study in China

ObjectiveTo investigate the interaction between plasma polymetallic exposure and lifestyle factors on cognitive function abnormalities in occupational aluminum workers. The aim is to develop a new occupational health management model that integrates lifestyle behaviors with occupational activities to comprehensively protect the health of these workers. Method476 Participants were recruited from an aluminum factory in Shanxi, China. Cognitive functioning was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). Plasma polymetallic levels were measured using ICP-MS. Logistic regression analyzed the relationship between nine plasma metals, lifestyle factors, and cognitive abnormalities. A 3D model validated the interaction between metals and analyzed the combined effects of plasma metals and lifestyle on MoCA scores. The Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) decision tree was used to identify factors influencing cognitive dysfunction. ResultsHigh blood aluminum concentration (>47.85 μg/L), high blood lithium concentration(>3.15 μg/L), as well as sleep time(≤7 h and > 8 h), smoking, alcohol consumption, and length of mobile phone use(≥2 h) were risk factors for abnormal cognitive functioning. In addition aluminum and lithium have a multiplicative interaction on cognitive function(OR=1.86,95 %CI:1.14,3.050). There was an interaction between high plasma levels of aluminum and lithium and smoking on cognitive function in workers, and an interaction between high plasma levels of aluminum and lithium and sleep duration ≤7 or >8 h on cognitive function in workers. ConclusionThe levels of blood metal elements aluminum and lithium, as well as sleep time, smoking, drinking, and length of mobile phone use, are risk factors for cognitive dysfunction in occupational aluminum workers. There are the synergetic effect to increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction between blood aluminum concentration ≥50.59μg/L and blood lithium concentration ≥3.44μg/L, sleep duration ≤7h& >8 h, smoking, drinking, mobile phone use ≥2 h.

Reduced resting and task-related alpha activity in mine workers: Implications for occupational health and neurodegenerative risk

Underground mine workers face many risk factors at work sites that are known to affect the neural system. Observational studies report that these risk factors precede neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders, especially in old-age miners. Neurodegenerative disorders have electrophysiological, anatomical, and functional changes long before symptoms are seen in older adults. Therefore, this study investigated whether risks faced by miners at young ages were reflected in electrophysiological signals. Twenty-one underground miners and twenty-two above-ground workers matched with them in terms of age, education, and working duration were included in this study. Participants were recorded with a 20-channel EEG during the resting-state (eyes open and closed; EO-EC) and the perception of the International Affective Picture System Paradigm (IAPS). Time-frequency analyses were performed for alpha frequency. Rs-EEG results showed a statistically significant difference in alpha power between the EO and EC states in the control group. However, there was no statistical difference in alpha power between these two conditions in the miners. Additionally, we noted a more pronounced decrease in alpha responses in the posterior region during EC in the miners. The group's main effects were statistically significant in event-related alpha responses during emotional responses. Accordingly, event-related alpha responses of the miner group were lower than the control group in terms of both power spectrum and phase-locking. Underground mine workers are cognitively and emotionally affected by risks in the work environment. Electrophysiological changes seen in young underground workers may be a harbinger of neurodegenerative disorders in miners' old age. Our research findings may lead to the development of occupational neuroscience, social policies, and worker health, which are necessary to improve working conditions for mineworkers.

Research on the psychology, physiology and cognitive ability of the work efficiency of special vehicle members

The combat effectiveness of special vehicles is related to the comprehensive national strength of the country. In addition to the performance of the vehicle itself, the combat capability of the crew is also crucial, and the work efficiency will affect the combat capability of the crew.This paper summarizes the effects of thermal and noise environments on crew efficiency and the evaluation methods of work efficiency using special vehicles as experimental platforms. A total of 12 environmental conditions were designed, the experimental temperature covers 25 °C, 29 °C, 33 °C, 37 °C, noise covers 50 dB, 70 dB, 85 dB. The effects of temperature and noise on the physiological, psychological and cognitive abilities of the occupants were quantitatively analyzed through human ergonomics simulation experiments. The results show that the noise has a significant effect on the occupant's work efficiency in a low-temperature environment, while the temperature becomes the dominant influence factor in a high-temperature environment. When operating temperatures reached 29 °C, occupant combat performance was optimal, whereas at 33 °C and above, the efficiency decreased significantly. This research provides a theoretical basis for optimizing the environment of special vehicle cabins, and offers a scientific temperature control scheme to improve the crew's efficiency.

Abstract 4125957: Feasibility and Acceptability of Behavioral Weight Loss Programs for Men in Trade and Labor Occupations

Objective: Men who work in trade and labor occupations experience high rates of obesity and related cardiovascular disease due to high rates of sedentary leisure time and poor diet. Despite this, they are underrepresented in weight control programs. This pilot randomized trial evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a 6-month program tailored to this occupational group versus a non-tailored standard-of-care behavioral weight loss program. Methods: Men with overweight or obesity working in trade and labor occupations were randomly assigned to either a tailored program or the DPP Group Lifestyle Balance program delivered via 16 one-hour virtual group sessions. In-person assessments were conducted at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Semi-structured interviews and self-report were used to assess the acceptability of the interventions. Feasibility was assessed using recruitment metrics and proportion group sessions and study assessments completed. Results: Participants (N = 28; median 44.0 years, interquartile range (IQR): 38.5-54.5), median 31.8 BMI, IQR 31.1-39.6) were recruited into the study over 7 months, and 71% and 79% were retained for assessments at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Overall, participants attended a median of 7 of the 16 group sessions (IQR 2.5-11.5). The tailored group completed a median of 11 of 16 weekly online progress reports (IQR 5-15). All participants reported that they would recommend the programs to other men and felt confident that they would continue using the strategies learned in the programs. Though the trial focused on feasibility rather than efficacy, median weight losses at 6 months were -3.0% in the tailored group (95% CI -9.3, -0.6) and -1.9% in the standard group (95% CI -7.4, 2.0). Conclusions: Results suggest that both the tailored and standard weight loss interventions were well received by this group, but engagement was low. Future research should focus on understanding how to increase engagement rather than exclusively tailoring the program to this occupational group to enhance this group's involvement with cardiovascular disease prevention programs.

Disseminated Knowledge: The Advancement of Finnish Occupational Medicine and Work Psychology in a Transnational Context, c. 1945–1952

Summary This article focuses on the advancement of Finnish occupational medicine in the immediate post-war period, situating its development within a transnational context. Its objective is to offer insight into Finnish post-war industrial medicine and particularly developments in mental health care. The empirical methodology addresses a previously unexplored case study: the connections between the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) and Roffey Park Rehabilitation Centre, established in 1943 to address various cases of industrial neurosis. The case study sheds light on the ways in which FIOH adopted reformist ideas from transnational medical communities by aligning them with the needs of Finland’s war reparations industry. The article argues that FIOH’s experts advanced new theories of mental disorder for Finland’s newly modern industrial society, and that these initiatives should be situated within broader transnational endeavours in the mental hygiene movement.

Associations of back muscle endurance with occupational back muscle activity and spinal loading among subsistence farmers and office workers in Rwanda.

Over the course of the physical activity transition, machines have largely replaced skeletal muscle as the source of work for locomotion and other forms of occupational physical activity in industrial environments. To better characterize this transition and its effect on back muscles and the spine, we tested to what extent typical occupational activities of rural subsistence farmers demand higher magnitudes and increased variability of back muscle activity and spinal loading compared to occupational activities of urban office workers in Rwanda, and whether these differences were associated with back muscle endurance, the dominant risk factor for back pain. Using electromyography, inertial measurement units, and OpenSim musculoskeletal modeling, we measured back muscle activity and spinal loading continuously while participants performed occupational activities for one hour. We measured back muscle endurance using electromyography median frequency analysis. During occupational work, subsistence farmers activate their back muscles and load their spines at 390% higher magnitudes and with 193% greater variability than office workers. Partial correlations accounting for body mass show magnitude and variability response variables are positively associated with back muscle endurance (R = 0.39-0.90 [P < 0.001-0.210] and R = 0.54-0.72 [P = 0.007-0.071], respectively). Body mass is negatively correlated with back muscle endurance (R = -0.60, P = 0.031), suggesting higher back muscle endurance may be also partly attributable to having lower body mass. Because higher back muscle endurance is a major factor that prevents back pain, these results reinforce evidence that under-activating back muscles and under-loading spines at work increases vulnerability to back pain and may be an evolutionary mismatch. As sedentary occupations become more common, there is a need to study the extent to which occupational and leisure time physical activities that increase back muscle endurance helps prevent back pain.

The Mediating Effect of Organizational Commitment and Occupational Self-Efficacy on Work Engagement

The goal of this study is to determine the effect of occupational self-efficacy on work engagement in millennial-generation employees, with organizational commitment as a mediation variable. The population of this research includes members of the millennial generation working in Jabodetabek. The sample comprises 250 respondents; the sampling technique is non-random sampling using the convenience sampling technique. Data processing uses Macro Preacher &amp; Hayes contained in SPSS verse 25, called PROCESS. The study results reveal that occupational self-efficacy has a significant effect on organizational commitment, and organizational commitment has a significant effect on work engagement. Occupational self-efficacy has a significant effect on work engagement, and organizational commitment mediates occupational self-efficacy and work engagement among millennial generation employees who work in Jabodetabek. The direct effect of occupational self-efficacy on work engagement is greater than the indirect effect.

Education and women in high-skill occupations in India

Purpose This paper aims to examine women’s likelihood of being employed in a high-skill occupation compared to men in India. It also analyses the impact of education on women’s likelihood of entering a high-skill occupation. Design/methodology/approach This study uses data from Periodic Labour Force Survey 2018–19. National Classification of Occupations 2004 is used to classify the occupations in three categories, i.e. high-skill, medium-skill and low-skill. The paper uses ordered probit with Heckman’s sample selection method to estimate the impact of gender identity and education on women’s likelihood of entering high-skill occupations. Findings The results show that female workers are more likely to be employed in high-skill occupations than male workers. Formal years of schooling and technical education further improve women’s probability of working in high-skill occupations compared to men. However, an increase in monthly per capita expenditure of the households improves men’s chances of being employed in high-skill occupations in comparison to women. It suggests that gender norms are still relevant. Originality/value Studies have found occupational segregation in India with a large share of women being employed in low-wage work. This study examines the issue by focusing on the skill level of occupations. It found that women have a higher likelihood of entering high-skill occupations in India and education is playing an important role in it.

Systematic review of reviews: occupational exposures and work disability

Abstract Background Occupational exposures significantly impact workers’ health and may lead to temporary or permanent work absence. Although the effect of occupational exposures on work participation has been studied extensively, research remains fragmented in covering different exposures and outcomes. This review investigates the evidence on the associations between occupational exposures and work disability. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of reviews was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies examining associations between occupational exposures and self- or physician-assessed sickness absence or disability retirement, published until 2023, were included. The review findings were supplemented with an additional search for original studies published after 2012 focusing on exposures less covered by the reviews. Quality assessment was performed using AMSTAR and the NH quality assessment tools. Results A total of 21 reviews and meta-analyses and 35 complementing original studies were included. While 10 reviews covered psychosocial exposures and 19 reviews focused on temporary work disability, fewer examined other exposures like chemicals (3 reviews, 7 original studies) or permanent work disability (8 reviews, 17 original studies). Next, we’ll further synthesize these studies to evaluate the levels of the evidence. Conclusions Our review found that published studies primarily focused on work-related psychosocial exposures and temporary work disability, revealing gaps in research on other occupational exposures like chemicals and permanent work disability. Key messages • There’s a need to explore a wider range of occupational exposures and their impact on work disability beyond psychosocial exposures. • The focus of prior reviews on occupational exposures and temporary work disability underscores the importance of studying the impact of these exposures on permanent work disability in future research.

Sources of stress and outcomes in carepartners of persons with chronic heart failure

Abstract Background Serving as a carepartner (CP) for someone with chronic heart failure (HF) can be challenging and difficult and may yield adverse psychological outcomes. Sources of HF CP burden and strain may come from physical, informational, and tangential demands. Yet additional life events and sources of stress may be present and compound experiences of HF CPs. Greater understanding of the factors associated with stress sources is needed to direct CP assessment and interventions. Purposes To explore the contributions of CP perceptions of HF care burden and strain, other sources of stress from occupational type and working status, and financial concerns to CP psychological outcomes and to examine the influence of social support in mitigating these outcomes. Methods CPs of persons with chronic HF, defined as providing care for the person with HF at least 4 hours a week, were enrolled. Baseline variables and measures were demographics (age, marital status, education), sources of stress (CP perceived strain and burden [Oberst, STRAIN], caring for others, occupation type, working status, and financial concerns. Psychological outcomes were overall perceived stress (PSS) and depression (CES-D) with social support measured by the Enriched Social Support Inventory (ESSI). Relationships among stress sources and outcomes were assessed using best model subsets regression analysis (Akaike information criterion) comparing the models with and without adjusting for social support. For each model, age, caring for others, CG strain (mental and physical), CG burden (time and difficulty), financial worry, occupation type and status were considered for the model. Results CPs of persons with HF (n=127; 92% women; 58% Black; primarily spouses and adult children) were included. For stress, the best model included age, caring for others, mental strain, occupation and CP burden of difficulty and time (adjusted r2=0.381). After adjusting for social support, occupation type was not significant, and adjusted r2 increased to 0.462. For depression, caring for others and CP burden (difficulty) were included in the best model subset (adjusted r2=0.208). After adjusting for social support, caring for others was not significant, and the adjusted r2 increased to 0.286. Conclusion Sources of stress from higher perceived CP burden of the person with HF, occupation type, and having other caregiving roles contributed to overall stress with social support mitigating the effects of occupation type and caring for others. These findings support further study of comprehensive assessments of sources of stress and their contributions to adverse psychological outcomes for CPs within the context of social support to tailor CP interventions to the CP’s specific needs. The consistent role of social support in attenuating psychological stress warrants study of ways to clinically incorporate social support into interventions to improve outcomes for CPs.

Personality profiles of 263 occupations.

While personality trait assessments are widely used in candidate selection, coaching, and occupational counseling, little published research has systematically compared occupations in personality traits. Using a comprehensive personality assessment, we mapped 263 occupations in self-reported Big Five domains and various personality nuances in a sample of 68,540 individuals and cross-validated the findings in informant ratings of 19,989 individuals. Controlling for age and gender, occupations accounted for 2%-7% of Big Five variance in both self-reports and informant reports. Most occupations' average Big Five levels were intuitive, replicated across rating methods, and were consistent with those previously obtained with a brief assessment in a different sociocultural context. Often, they also tracked the Occupational Information Network database's work style ratings and clustered along the International Standard Classification of Occupation's hierarchical framework. Finally, occupations with higher average levels of the personality domains typically linked to better job performance tended to be more homogeneous in these domains, suggesting that jobs with higher performing incumbents are often more selective for personality traits. Several personality nuances had intuitive occupational differences that were larger than those of the Big Five domains (explaining up to 12% variance) and replicated well across rating methods, providing more detailed insights into how job incumbents vary in personality. We provide an interactive application for exploring the results (https://apps.psych.ut.ee/JobProfiles/) and discuss the findings' theoretical and practical implications. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Contemporary Chinese vocational interest scale in the digital age: development and validation

Holland’s Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional (RIASEC) model has been widely used for career counseling, vocational assessment, and educational choice. However, vocational interest types can be affected by culture, and the fourth industrial revolution has led to the emergence of many new occupations, rendering many occupational titles and work tasks in Holland’s RIASEC model outdated. The present study proposed nine interest types in contemporary China: Artistic (A), Natural (N), Enterprising (E), Conventional (C), Technological (T), Investigative (I), Powerful (P), Social (S), and Operational (O), and developed a vocational interest scale with nine subscales. We generated items by drawing from a literature review, occupational categories, and expert reviews, used exploratory factor analysis (EFA, N = 628, Mage = 12.75 years; 47% girls) to reduce the number of items, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA, N = 627, Mage = 12.76 years; 48% girls) to validate the factor structure. This study clarified vocational interest types in contemporary China, developed and validated a vocational interest scale for the digital age, and provided a measurement tool for educational choice and career counseling.

Estimation of the Effective Radiation Dose in Nuclear Medicine Workers from Dhaka by Measuring Radioactivity in Urine Sample Resulting from Internal Exposure

This study estimates the effective doses and activity concentration from 151 urine samples which are collected from 15 (Fifteen) occupational workers at National Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science (NINMAS) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The radioactivity concentration in urine sample is due to intake of I-131, Tc-99m and F-18. The samples have been analyzed using High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. The radioactivity of I-131 and Tc-99m was found 0.91 ± 0.26 BqL-1 to 504.49 ± 6.03 BqL-1 and 0.15 ± 0.21 BqL-1 to 191.19 ± 6.98 BqL-1 respectively. Radioactivity of F-18 was found from 0.031 ± 0.022 BqL-1 to 0.282 ± 0.065 BqL-1. The effective doses of occupational workers have been also calculated using the radioactivity concentration and the dose coefficient according to ICRP publication 78. Jagannath University Journal of Science, Volume 11, Number 1, June 2024, pp. 64−80