Assessing reliability and validity of the Work Design Questionnaire as a tool for macro ergonomics surveys: A case study in an Iranian worker population in 2016

Background: The imbalance between job demand and controls is associated with physical and mental disorders. The Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ) is one of the newest tools for macro-ergonomics evaluation of organizations and workplaces. In this research, the reliability and validity of the Persian WDQ (PWDQ) in the evaluation of occupational accident management and safety promotion in Persian-language organizations were studied. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was performed among 397 randomly selected workers in a glass manufacturing company in Saveh, Iran, in 2016. The questionnaire had 77 questions with four main factors. A demographic questionnaire was also employed. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm the structure of factors in PWDQ. Data analyses were performed in SPSS software (independent t-test and Pearson's correlation test) and LISREL. Results: The mean total score of the questionnaire was equals to 253.44 ± 45.05. Reliability for all questions, based on Cronbach’s alpha value, was calculated at 0.94. The result of the validity tests also indicated suitable generalization of the PWDQ. Furthermore, fitness parameters were in acceptable ranges. Pearson's correlation test showed that all factors of social characteristics are significantly associated with occupational accident (P<0.05). Moreover, feedback from job factor was negatively correlated with accident. Conclusions: The PWDQ would be applicable as a valid and reliable tool for evaluating the work characteristics of Persian-language organizations and industries. In addition, it was found that using this tool based on the macro ergonomics principles is suitable for accidents control, safety promotion, cost management, and improvement of organizational efficiency/productivity.