Investigation of the Relationship of Pulmonary Indicators with Quality of Life and Mental Health of Workers and the Role of Physical Activity on These Indicators: A Case Study in Cement and Tile Factory, Yazd, Iran, during 2020

Introduction: The respiratory system is one of the most important parts of the body that can be affected by the adverse effects of inhaling suspended particles leading to mental and occupational disorders. Due to the positive effects of physical activity on physical and mental health, this study aimed to investigate the relationship of pulmonary indicators with the quality of life and mental health of workers. Moreover, it was attempted to evaluate the effect of physical activity on these indicators.   Materials & Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 153 workers who were selected based on the inclusion criteria from those who referred to Teb-e-Kar Laboratory, Mehriz, Iran, using the available sampling method. According to the Beck questionnaire, the participants were divided into two groups of inactive (n=93) and active (n=60). To determine workerschr('39') lung capacity, a lung function test was performed using Spirometry along with administering the General Health Questionnaire (1989) and Weir and Sherborne quality of life scale (1992). The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 23) through Pearson correlation coefficients. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Ethics code:  IR.PNU.REC.1398.116   Findings: There was a direct and significant relationship between lung indicators and workerschr('39') quality of life (P=0.000). Moreover, an inverse relationship was observed between these indicators and mental health (P=0.000). The results of the inactive group also showed that lung indicators correlated directly with the quality of life (P=0.007, 0.000, 0.000, and 0.005, respectively); however, it had a significant and inverse relationship with mental health, except for vital capacity VC (P= 0.019, 0.037, and 0.003, respectively).   Discussions & Conclusions: It seems that an increase in the volume of the lungs improves the quality of life and mental health. It is worth noting that this relationship is more significant among active workers, compared to the inactive group.