Associations between trunk flexion and physical activity of patient care workers for a single shift: A pilot study

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Arias, Oscar E.^{a; h; *} | Umukoro, Peter E.^a | Stoffel, Sonja D.^{b; c} | Hopcia, Karen^{d; e} | Sorensen, Glorian^{c; f} | Dennerlein, Jack T.^{a; g}

Affiliations: [a] Harvard School of Public Health Center for Work, Health and Wellbeing, Boston, MA, USA | [b] Centre for Sport and Exercise Education, Camosun College, Victoria, BC, Canada | [c] Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA | [d] Department of Occupational Health, Partners HealthCare, Inc., Boston, MA, USA | [e] Department of Health Systems Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA | [f] Center for Community Based Research, Dana Faber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA | [g] Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA | [h] Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), CA, USA

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Oscar E. Arias, University California Los Angeles, 650 Charles E. Young Dr. S., 56-071C Box 951772. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA. Tel.: +1 3107285220; E-mail: oea936@mail.harvard.edu.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Trunk flexion and occupational physical activity are parameters that have been used to assess and characterize jobs with high physical demands. OBJECTIVE: Characterize the physical load of trunk flexion and physical activity of patient care unit (PCU) workers during a single work shift. METHODS: Participants wore an accelerometer to measure physical activity and an inclinometer to assess trunk flexion during a single work shift, which was compared using correlation and linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Participants spent 74% of their work time upright between – 10° to 20° and 19% of their time flexed between 20° to 45°. On average workers spent 3% and 5% of their time, in the extreme postures of less than – 10° and greater than 45°, respectively. Participants spent 99% of their shift below moderate and vigorous activity. The largest correlation found was between the number of forward trunk flexions to 20° degrees per shift and minutes in lifestyle activity (r = 0.6, p < 0.001). No correlations between minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity and trunk flexion were observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the physical demands of patient care unit workers as measured through trunk flexion are associated with lifestyle and light levels of physical activity.

Keywords: Posture, workload, ergonomics, and bending

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-172481

Journal: Work, vol. 56, no. 2, pp. 247-255, 2017