Predicting Forearm Physical Exposures During Computer Work Using Self-Reports, Software-Recorded Computer Usage Patterns, and Anthropometric and Workstation Measurements.

Objectives: Alternative techniques to assess physical exposures, such as prediction models, could facilitate more efficient epidemiological assessments in future large cohort studies examining physical exposures in relation to work-related musculoskeletal symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate two types of models that predict arm-wrist-hand physical exposures (i.e.

Office workers with high effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment have greater decreases in heart rate variability over a 2-h working period.

Purpose: High levels of workplace psychosocial factors have been associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, possibly through the pathway of increasing autonomic arousal. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the workplace psychosocial factors of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and overcommitment were associated with greater decreases in heart rate variability (HRV) across a 2-h working period in a cohort of office workers performing their own work at their own workplaces.

Methods: Measurements of HRV in 5-min time epochs across a 2-h morning or afternoon working period, as well as self-reports of ERI and overcommitment, were collected for 91 office workers.

Prediction of trapezius muscle activity and shoulder, head, neck, and torso postures during computer use: results of a field study.

Background: Due to difficulties in performing direct measurements as an exposure assessment technique, evidence supporting an association between physical exposures such as neck and shoulder muscle activities and postures and musculoskeletal disorders during computer use is limited. Alternative exposure assessment techniques are needed.

Methods: We predicted the median and range of amplitude (90th-10th percentiles) of trapezius muscle activity and the median and range of motion (90th-10th percentiles) of shoulder, head, neck, and torso postures based on two sets of parameters: the distribution of keyboard/mouse/idle activities only ("task-based" predictions), and a comprehensive set of task, questionnaire, workstation, and anthropometric parameters ("expanded model" predictions).

Office workers' computer use patterns are associated with workplace stressors.

This field study examined associations between workplace stressors and office workers' computer use patterns. We collected keyboard and mouse activities of 93 office workers (68F, 25M) for approximately two work weeks. Linear regression analyses examined the associations between self-reported effort, reward, overcommitment, and perceived stress and software-recorded computer use duration, number of short and long computer breaks, and pace of input device usage.

The effect of over-commitment and reward on trapezius muscle activity and shoulder, head, neck, and torso postures during computer use in the field.

Background: Because of reported associations of psychosocial factors and computer related musculoskeletal symptoms, we investigated the effects of a workplace psychosocial factor, reward, in the presence of over-commitment, on trapezius muscle activity and shoulder, head, neck, and torso postures during computer use.

Methods: We measured 120 office workers across four groups (lowest/highest reward/over-commitment), performing their own computer work at their own workstations over a 2-hr period.

Results: Median trapezius muscle activity (P = 0.

The effect of overcommitment and reward on muscle activity, posture, and forces in the arm-wrist-hand region--a field study among computer workers.

Objective: Office workers with high levels of overcommitment and low levels of reward are thought to be more prone to arm-wrist-hand symptoms, possibly through a higher internal physical exposure. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of high overcommitment and low reward on (i) forearm muscle activity, (ii) wrist posture and kinematics, and (iii) forces applied to computer input devices during computer work in an actual work setting.

Methods: We continuously measured wrist extensor muscle activity, wrist posture and kinematics, and forces applied to the keyboard and mouse for two hours during the daily work of 120 office workers with four different levels of overcommitment and reward (low-high, high-high, low-low, and high-low).

Serial postural and motor assessment of Fetal Akinesia Deformation Sequence (FADS).

Background: Fetal Akinesia Deformation Sequence (FADS) is a rare, in most cases autosomal recessive, disorder. Its heterogeneous origin results in variable onset and expression of motor and postural anomalies. DNA-diagnostic possibilities are limited, thus prenatal diagnosis is chiefly dependent on sonographic examinations.