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Cited by 90Thermoregulation and physiological responsesOccupational Health and Safety in WorkplacesOccupational Health and Safety Management

Evaluating Effects of Heat Stress on Cognitive Function among Workers in a Hot Industry

Open access
Mazloumi, Adel, Golbabaei, Farideh, Mahmood Khani, Somayeh Mahmood Khani, Kazemi, Zeinab, Hosseini, Mostafa, Abbasinia, Marzieh, Farhang Dehghan, Somayeh·2014·Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
DOI 10.5681/hpp.2014.031PMC PMC4300451
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Abstract

Background:Heat stress, as one of the most common occupational health problems, can impair operators' cognitive processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of thermal stress on cognitive function among workers in a hot industry. Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted in Malibel Saipa Company in 2013, workers were assigned into two groups: one group were exposed to heat stress (n=35), working in casting unit and the other group working in machin­ing unit (n=35) with a normal air conditioning. Wet Bulb Globe Temperature was measured at three heights of ankle, abdomen, and head. In order to evalu­ate the effects of heat stress on attention and reaction time, Stroop tests 1, 2, and 3 were conducted before starting the work and during the work. Results: A significant positive correlation was observed between WBGT and test duration (P=0.01) and reaction time of Stroop test 3 (P=0.047), and be­tween number of errors in Stroop tests 1, 2, and 3, during the work (P= 0.001). Moreover, Stroop test 3 showed a significant higher score for both test dura­tion and reaction time of workers in case group. Conclusion: Results of the present study, conducted in a real work environ­ment, confirmed the impairment of cognitive functions, including selective at­tention and reaction time, under heat stress conditions.

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  • Prolonged exposure to work-related heat stress impairs cognitive performance, with increased response times and elevated error rates during Stroop and Continuous Performance tests.

    “In the occupational context, prolonged exposure to work-related heat stress impairs cognitive performance where workers’ response times were found to be increased with an elevated rate of errors during the Stroop test and Continuous Performance test.3,8”

    From Influence of habitual physical activity on cognitive performance of healthy young adults after passive heat exposure (2026) · cites this paper as [3]

    The Results (page not provided) report increased reaction time on Stroop test 3 and more errors on Stroop tests 1–3 among heat-exposed workers. The Methods describe testing before and during a work shift, not prolonged exposure, and the study used Stroop tests rather than a Continuous Performance test. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The Stroop test has been shown to be sensitive to alteration of cognitive functions and can identify deficits in selective attention or executive function under heat stress conditions.

    “The Stroop test has been shown to be sensitive to the alteration of cognitive functions and can identify deficits in selective attention or executive function (inhibitory control) under heat stress conditions.3,32”

    From Influence of habitual physical activity on cognitive performance of healthy young adults after passive heat exposure (2026) · cites this paper as [3]

  • Some aspects of cognitive function can be impaired by heat stress, resulting in poorer work performance, or increased occupational errors and workplace accidents when heat exposure becomes unavoidable.

    “Likewise, some aspects of cognitive function can be impaired by heat stress, resulting in poorer work performance, or increased occupational errors and workplace accidents when heat exposure becomes unavoidable.3”

    From Influence of habitual physical activity on cognitive performance of healthy young adults after passive heat exposure (2026) · cites this paper as [3]

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Mazloumi, A., Golbabaei, F., Mahmood Khani, S. M. K., Kazemi, Z., Hosseini, M., Abbasinia, M., & Farhang Dehghan, S.
Affiliations
Tehran University of Medical Sciences (IR)
ORCID
Venue
Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
Publisher
Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
Published
2014
Volume
4
Issue
2
Pages
240-6
DOI
10.5681/hpp.2014.031
PMC
PMC4300451
OpenAlex
W1732217855
Cited by
90
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1
FWCI
3.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Thermoregulation and physiological responses
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety Management
Keywords
heat stress, occupational heat exposure, cognitive function, attention, reaction time, Stroop task, wet bulb globe temperature, foundry workers, metal casting, machining, thermal stress (biology)

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