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Assessment of semen quality of taxi drivers exposed to whole body vibration

Authors :
Sirvan Zarei
Somayeh Farhang Dehghan
Mohammad Hossein Vaziri
Mohammad Ali Sadighi Gilani
Soheila Khodakarim Ardakani
Source :
Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
BMC, 2022.

Abstract

Abstract Whole body vibration (WBV) is a recognized occupational hazard for many workers such as drivers and operators of heavy and light machinery and exposure to it is accompanied by physical and mental repercussions. Only the limited studies have been done on the effects of vibration exposure on reproductive indices, however vibration exposure has been indicated as being a hazardous agents with the potential of being able to directly affect the reproductive system. Considering the importance of infertility, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating semen quality among taxi drivers in Tehran and determine the effect of exposure to WBV on sperm parameters. The study population consisted of 70 taxi drivers and 70 office employee who attended infertility clinics for diagnostic purposes in the past year. The participants had to meet the entry criteria of the study while also being willing to recruit. Data was collected in the form of demographic questionnaires and general health questionnaires as well as sperm analysis conducted in an infertility clinic according to standard laboratory guidelines. The 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) exposure to of WBV in automobile was measured as per ISO 2631-1. The TWA exposure to WBV among the taxi drivers and office employees were 0.697 ± 0.13 m/s2 and 0.068 ± 0.09 m/s2 respectively (P 0.05); moreover exposure to WBV resulted in the larger effect size (B) on sperm parameters than the demographic variables (P > 0.05). Being taxi drivers increase the chance of the decreased semen quality (P > 0.05). It is difficult to draw definitive conclusions regarding the effects of WBV while intervening factors exist, such as psychological stressors, quality of sleep, background issues as well as environmental factors such as chemical pollutants (heavy metals) or ergonomic factors (body posture and working while sitting down).

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
17456673
Volume :
17
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.451671c1b62e4cb49338667b1c3fe82d
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-022-00357-z