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Frontiers of a Gender Equality Paradox: IHRL and Canada’s National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence against Women
No full textThis article explores the experience and lessons from developing Canada’s first national action plan for gender-based violence (NAPGBV) as an example of the vicissitudes of feminist policy-making. The author specifies the processes, methodologies, and collaborations the Expert Engagement Group that she coordinated in a project to guide Canada’s Women and Gender Equality Ministry in developing the NAPGBV. She explores her experiences at the intersection of activism and policy-making, detailing Canada’s international human rights obligations to prevent and protect against gender-based violence (GBV) as the frame of reference. The article traces the separate paths to accountability for GBV in Canada regarding Indigenous women’s experiences and those of more mainstream or settler efforts. The author posits that GBVAW is a multifaceted issue that requires cross-sector collaboration and immediate, sustained, monitored, and accountable action by all governments according to their respective responsibilities and in keeping with international best practices
PREVALENCE OF WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AMONG IRANIAN ORTHOTISTS AND PROSTHETISTS: A STUDY ON WORK-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE
No full textBACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal injuries are prevalent globally and can impact both work efficiency and the quality of services offered to patients.
OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Iranian orthotists and prosthetists and its relationship with work-related quality of life.
METHODOLOGY: In this cross-sectional study, the Persian versions of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and Work-Related Quality of Life (WRQoL) scale were used to identify disorders of different body parts and occupational quality of life. A group of 263 orthotists and prosthetists were invited to complete the questionnaires using a simple random sampling method. The data from 188 respondents were analyzed. The association between WRQoL and the following variables: gender, work experience, age, presence of musculoskeletal disorder, and income level, was assessed using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient.
FINDINGS: There was an 82% prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among the participants. The most common areas involved were the lower back (35%) and neck (28%). There was a statistically significant relationship between gender (rs(188) = 0.16, p = 0.031) and weight (rs(188) = 0.15, p = 0.045) and work-related musculoskeletal disorders, however, the strength of the correlation was very small. Moreover, the WRQoL had a statistically significant but small to negligible relationship with gender (rs(188) = 0.17, p = 0.016), work experience (rs(188) = 0.18, p = 0.011), age (rs(188) = 0.15, p = 0.039), and income (rs(178) = 0.17, p = 0.025). There was no significant relationship between work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the total score of WRQoL scale.
CONCLUSION: While the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders is high among Iranian orthotists and prosthetists, the average WRQoL presents an opportunity for improvement. The findings indicate associations between work-related disorders and factors such as gender, work experience, age, and income, emphasizing the need for plans to improve working conditions and prevent these disorders. Conducting ergonomic assessments of workstations, increasing employee income, and implementing training programs that focus on proper lifting techniques, posture, and the use of ergonomic tools may help reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders in orthotists and prosthetists.
Layman\u27s Abstract
Work-related musculoskeletal injuries are among the most severe occupational issues worldwide. Orthotists and prosthetists are at a high risk of suffering from musculoskeletal disorders due to repetitive tasks, high workload, poor working conditions, and occupational stress. In this study, the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Iranian orthotists and prosthetists and its relationship with work-related quality of life were assessed. The studied orthotists and prosthetists had an 82% prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. This study found a small to negligible relationship between gender and weight with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Additionally, the work-related quality of life showed a small to negligible connection with gender, work experience, age, and income. However, there was no clear link between work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the overall score on the WRQoL scale. This highlights the need for better working conditions to help prevent these issues. Assessing workstations for ergonomics, increasing employee pay, and offering training on proper lifting techniques, posture, and ergonomic tools may help reduce these disorders among orthotists and prosthetists.
Article PDF Link: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/44064/33651
How To Cite: Azizi S, Moradi V, Hajiaghaei B, Babaee T. Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Iranian orthotists and prosthetists: A study on work-related quality of life. Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2024; Volume 7, Issue 2, No. 6. https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v7i2.44064
Corresponding Author: Dr. Taher Babaee, PhD, CPOAffiliation: Department of Orthotics and Prosthetics, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.E-Mail: [email protected] ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1487-237
Contextual and Psychological Factors of Face Mask-Wearing Among Secondary School Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey from Toronto
No full textBackground: Several studies have investigated the factors associated with mask-wearing in adults, but very few studies have explored mask wearing in children or schools. As such, our study aims to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and psychological factors impacting mask-wearing in high school students.
Methods: In February 2023, a cross-sectional survey was distributed online to Grade 9–12 students in a school located in Toronto. The association between knowledge, attitudes and psychological variables was evaluated using descriptive statistics and Kendall’s tau-b rank correlation tests. Thematic analysis was then used to summarize the qualitative responses.
Results: A total of 62 participants fully completed the survey. 46.8% (n = 29) identified as male, 43.5% (n = 27) as female, and the median age was 16 years (IQR, 15–17 years). Almost all participants indicated that they were knowledgeable about COVID-19\u27s modes of transmission (n = 57, 92.0%) and preventative measures (n = 60, 96.8%). More participants supported voluntary masking in schools (n = 34, 54.9%) compared to mask mandates (n = 16, 25.9%). Attitudes towards masking in schools, perceived susceptibility, perceived aesthetic, and anxiety-reduction benefits were positively correlated with higher frequencies of mask-wearing (τb = 0.238 to 0.491, p = 0.03 to <0.001). However, perceived barriers (e.g., physical discomfort, hindrance to communication, inconvenience) were negatively correlated (τb = -0.259 to -0.385, p = 0.0019 to <0.001). Age, sex, self-reported COVID-19 knowledge, perceived severity, and perceived medical benefits were not significant correlates of masking behaviour. Qualitative reasons that encouraged individuals to wear masks included protection and aesthetic reasons. Students who did not wear masks questioned the necessity of mask-wearing and commented on the new social norm of not wearing a mask among their classmates.
Conclusion: Adolescent mask-wearing is significantly correlated with pre-existing attitudes towards masks, while perceived barriers strongly discourage students from wearing masks. Future research should investigate how to best promote positive beliefs regarding mask-wearing to youth
Is it Race or Racism? Why Binary Explanations for Inequality Have Failed Black Americans
No full textThe Pen is the Sword: The Language of Battle in Veronica Franco’s Terze Rime
No full textThis article analyzes Veronica Franco’s use of the language of battle and swordsmanship in her Terze Rime, paying particular attention to the poems she wrote in response to a literary attack from an anonymous male writer (usually identified as Maffio Venier). In these texts, Franco describes the act of writing as a sword fight and represents herself as a skilled fencer. I consider Franco’s language of battle and her self-identification as a fighter in relation to the figure of the woman warrior popularized by Renaissance chivalric epics. Moreover, I explore the connections among Franco, her Terze Rime, and the Venetian cult of female figures—most significantly Saint Justina and the Virgin Mary—often represented as defenders of Venetian freedom. More broadly, this article investigates how Franco’s image of the pen as a weapon relates both to contemporary reflections on the position of women in society, as well as on the role and function of the writer in Renaissance Italy
La regola del genere dei nomi di professioni nei manuali di italiano l2/ls
No full textIl femminile delle professioni è al centro del dibattito sul sessismo linguistico in Italia, soprattutto per quanto riguarda i sostantivi che indicano ruoli professionali di prestigio, come avvocato, ministro o architetto, che spesso vengono declinati al maschile anche quando si riferiscono a una donna. Grazie ai contributi della linguistica femminista, tuttavia, è sempre più diffusa la consapevolezza che l’uso di forme del cosiddetto maschile “non marcato” per indicare referenti femminili è il frutto di una concezione della lingua di stampo androcentrico e sono ormai diverse le istituzioni che ne sconsigliano l’uso e si sono espresse a favore di un linguaggio non sessista.
Nella presente ricerca si è analizzato il trattamento della regola di formazione dei femminili di professioni all’interno delle sezioni grammaticali di quindici testi di italiano L2/LS pubblicati negli ultimi dieci anni con l’obiettivo di osservare se le recenti indicazioni e raccomandazioni abbiano avuto un impatto e siano state assunte come modello linguistico.
Dai risultati emerge che non esiste un’esposizione omogenea della regola in questione e che, sebbene in alcuni casi essa venga illustrata in maniera approfondita, quando si cerca di rendere visibili le donne che svolgono professioni prestigiose, alcuni dei manuali analizzati consigliano l’uso del maschile “non marcato” o forniscono indicazioni approssimative riguardo l’attuale stato della questione
