Home office (HO) stands out as one of the most promising and popular forms of teleworking, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, many companies want to implement or maintain this working method, given its numerous advantages. However, there are adverse effects that are mainly related to physical and mental health. This article presents ergonomic analyses of HOs in neighborhoods considered heat islands. Temperature levels, extreme low-frequency non-ionizing radiation (ELF-NIR), illuminance, physical layout characteristics, and physiological parameters of teleworkers were measured. The results reveal that 92% of these professionals work 6 to 8 h daily with an ambient temperature between 25 and 30 °C, illumination levels in the range 11.20-290 Lux, and ELF-NIR > 0.4 µT. The majority of teleworkers are overweight (BMI > 24.9), and some of them have blood pressure higher than average values (129 mmHg for systolic and 84 mmHg for diastolic) in addition to a reduction in the number of red blood cells and hematocrits. Symptoms such as burning sensation, dryness, tired eyes, redness, itching, and photophobia (light sensitivity) show a 68.95% similarity. These HOs do not meet the required ergonomic and health standards.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070941 | DOI Listing |
Australas J Ageing
March 2025
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, International Hellenic University - Alexander Campus, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Objectives: To determine the safety and efficacy of a video-supported Cawthorne-Cooksey exercise program (CCEP) in improving balance, dizziness and decreasing fear of falling in older adults with balance deficits and dizziness.
Methods: Thirty-two older adults were divided into two groups (intervention and control). The intervention group followed a video-supported CCEP group, while the control group received written instructions to maintain their usual activity and counselling on fall prevention.
Int J Occup Saf Ergon
January 2025
Institute for Future (IFF), Qingdao University, People's Republic of China.
Conventional ergonomic observation methods, such as rapid entire body assessment (REBA), are limited in their sensitivity and reliability, particularly in detecting changes in input variables. This study integrates fuzzy logic with the REBA method, utilizing trapezoidal membership functions to fuzzify the input variables. The center of gravity method was employed for defuzzification, and if-then rules were formulated to enhance the REBA method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInd Health
January 2025
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia.
Low back pain (LBP) is a commonly encountered medical disorder in Malaysia's primary care setting, though establishing a direct connection between LBP and the workplace environment in adults is challenging. This case presents a clinic nurse who developed LBP due to a prolapsed intervertebral disc and her clinical management from an Occupational Health Doctor perspective. Her occupational management involved a walk-through survey at an urban hospital, which identified bone marrow aspiration as her most physically demanding task.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLife (Basel)
January 2025
Occupational Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
Musculoskeletal disorders are the most prevalent occupational health problem and are often related to biomechanical risk factors. Over the last forty years, observational methods for exposure assessment have been proposed. To apply them effectively in the field, an in-depth knowledge of each methodology and a solid understanding of their actual predictive value and limitations are required.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
January 2025
Lung Biology, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden.
Particulate matter (PM) is a major component of ambient air pollution. PM exposure is linked to numerous adverse health effects, including chronic lung diseases. Air quality guidelines designed to regulate levels of ambient PM are currently based on the mass concentration of different particle sizes, independent of their origin and chemical composition.
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