Iran Occupational Health

  Background and Aim: life on Earth protected by ozone layer against harmful ultraviolet sun rays. Due to the destructive effects of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) on the ozone layer, other refrigerants were suggested such as HFC134a which is as an appropriate replacement for CFCs particularly CFC12. The aim of this study was determining the beliefs of refrigerator craftsmen to prevent health and environmental hazards of chlorofluorocarbons using of health belief model.

  Method: This research was a descriptive- analytical and cross-sectional study. A number of 48 Refrigerator craftsmen from the cities of Tabas, Rafsanjan and Noorabad were studied by census method. The data collection tools in this study was a valid and reliable researcher made questionnaires consisting two parts: A- five demographic questions, B- questions and items about HBM: eight items Perceived susceptibility, five items Perceived severity, six items Perceived benefits, five items Perceived barriers, four questions Cues to action and Performance with four questions.

  Results: The mean score of knowledge 10.77 ± 2.85 ( score range 0-18), susceptibility 28.32 ± 3.95 (score range 8-40), severity 17.12 ± 2.38 (score range 5-25), benefits 20.49 ± 2.79 (score range 6-30 ), barriers 12.41 ± 1.26 ( score range 5-25), Cues to action 0.61 ± 1.19 ( score range 0-8) Performance 0.76 ± 1.08 ( score range 0-8) were determined. Between the average score of knowledge and susceptibility (p<0.001 , r=0.67), benefits (p<0.001 , r=0.61) and severity (p=0.001 , r =0.5) also between susceptibility and severity (p<0.001 , r=0.66), susceptibility and benefits (p<0.001 , r=0.84), susceptibility and performance (p=0.018 , r=0.36), severity and benefits (p<0.001, r=0.58), and the benefits and performance (p=0.033 , r=0.32) , direct correlation and between the average score of work experience and knowledge (p=0.005, r= -0.419) an inverse correlation were obtained.

  Conclusion: The overal knowledge was not in acceptable level, and seeing that by increasing the knowledge of participants, the level of susceptibility, severity and benefits were also increased, the importance of education of Craftsmen need to be considered in order to improve preventive behaviors .