Sitting Posture during Prolonged Computer Typing with and without a Wearable Biofeedback Sensor

A Rapid Review on the Effectiveness and Use of Wearable Biofeedback Motion Capture Systems in Ergonomics to Mitigate Adverse Postures and Movements of the Upper Body

Work-related diseases and disorders remain a significant global health concern, necessitating multifaceted measures for mitigation. One potential measure is work technique training utilizing augmented feedback through wearable motion capture systems. However, there exists a research gap regarding its current effectiveness in both real work environments and controlled settings, as well as its ability to reduce postural exposure and retention effects over short, medium, and long durations. A rapid review was conducted, utilizing two databases and three previous literature reviews to identify relevant studies published within the last twenty years, including recent literature up to the end of 2023. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 14 were of high or moderate quality. These studies were summarized descriptively, and the strength of evidence was assessed. Among the included studies, six were rated as high quality, while eight were considered moderate quality. Notably, the reporting of participation rates, blinding of assessors, and a-priori power calculations were infrequently performed. Four studies were conducted in real work environments, while ten were conducted in controlled settings. Vibration feedback was the most common feedback type utilized (n = 9), followed by auditory (n = 7) and visual feedback (n = 1). All studies employed corrective feedback initiated by the system. In controlled environments, evidence regarding the effectiveness of augmented feedback from wearable motion capture systems to reduce postural exposure ranged from strong evidence to no evidence, depending on the time elapsed after feedback administration. Conversely, for studies conducted in real work environments, the evidence ranged from very limited evidence to no evidence. Future reach needs are identified and discussed.

Influence of short bouts of stair climbing on young adults during prolonged sitting on posture, discomfort, and musculoskeletal performance outcomes: a counterbalanced pilot randomised crossover trial

Prolonged sitting is postulated to influence musculoskeletal performance (cervical flexor endurance, balance, and agility), discomfort and alter cervical spine angles during work-based computer use. Stair climbing breaks may be a great addition at typical and home offices however remain unexplored for its impact on musculoskeletal performance. In our counterbalanced pilot crossover trial, 24 adults were randomised to three interventions: (1) prolonged sitting, (2) interrupted by 2 min of self-paced, and (3) externally paced stair climbing for 2 h. Cervical spine angles were measured every 30 min while balance, agility, endurance, and discomfort were assessed before and after 120 min. Stair climbing interruptions have favourable effects on agility (F = 8.12, p = 0.009, ηp2 = 0.26) and musculoskeletal discomfort, but failed to improve other musculoskeletal outcomes associated with prolonged sitting. Brief stair climbing interruptions are effective in improving discomfort and agility while pragmatic trials are warranted for translated effects.

Wearables for Monitoring and Postural Feedback in the Work Context: A Scoping Review

Wearables offer a promising solution for simultaneous posture monitoring and/or corrective feedback. The main objective was to identify, synthesise, and characterise the wearables used in the workplace to monitor and postural feedback to workers. The PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed. Studies were included between 1 January 2000 and 22 March 2023 in Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese without geographical restriction. The databases selected for the research were PubMed®, Web of Science®, Scopus®, and Google Scholar®. Qualitative studies, theses, reviews, and meta-analyses were excluded. Twelve studies were included, involving a total of 304 workers, mostly health professionals (n = 8). The remaining studies covered workers in the industry (n = 2), in the construction (n = 1), and welders (n = 1). For assessment purposes, most studies used one (n = 5) or two sensors (n = 5) characterised as accelerometers (n = 7), sixaxial (n = 2) or nonaxialinertial measurement units (n = 3). The most common source of feedback was the sensor itself (n = 6) or smartphones (n = 4). Haptic feedback was the most prevalent (n = 6), followed by auditory (n = 5) and visual (n = 3). Most studies employed prototype wearables emphasising kinematic variables of human movement. Healthcare professionals were the primary focus of the study along with haptic feedback that proved to be the most common and effective method for correcting posture during work activities.

Health education using the theory of planned behavior to modify ergonomic posture in hospital computer users: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are prevalent in those who use computers, and education using ergonomic principles may be helpful to prevent such conditions. The present study sought to identify how an educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) may be effective for adopting healthy ergonomic postures.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 162 computer users working in a hospital setting in Iran were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. The intervention group (n = 81) received six weekly educational sessions based on TPB principles, whereas the control group received no intervention during the study period. Both groups were assessed at baseline and 3 months after the intervention using a TPB questionnaire, rapid office strain assessment (ROSA), and Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the independent/paired Student's t test, chi-square, and analysis of covariance.

RESULTS

All TPB constructs in the intervention group improved from baseline to follow-up, indicating considerable progress compared to the control group (p < 0.001). More than 60% of intervention and control groups were categorized as high risk at baseline in terms of ergonomic posture measured by ROSA. This percentage was reduced to 21% for intervention group and increased to 65% in the control group at follow-up. Symptom relief was obtained for wrist/hands, lower back, neck, shoulders and upper back in the intervention group (all p < 0.05). The number of affected areas also significantly decreased in the intervention group compared to the control group three months after the intervention.

CONCLUSION

Educational programs based on TPB principles may be helpful in correcting ergonomic postures among computer users. Such interventions are recommended for worksite health promotion in that they may prevent the development of musculoskeletal disorders in staff.

Review of Real-Time Biomechanical Feedback Systems in Sport and Rehabilitation

Real-time biomechanical feedback (BMF) is a relatively new area of research. The potential of using advanced technology to improve motion skills in sport and accelerate physical rehabilitation has been demonstrated in a number of studies. This paper provides a literature review of BMF systems in sports and rehabilitation. Our motivation was to examine the history of the field to capture its evolution over time, particularly how technologies are used and implemented in BMF systems, and to identify the most recent studies showing novel solutions and remarkable implementations. We searched for papers in three research databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. The initial search yielded 1167 unique papers. After a rigorous and challenging exclusion process, 144 papers were eventually included in this report. We focused on papers describing applications and systems that implement a complete real-time feedback loop, which must include the use of sensors, real-time processing, and concurrent feedback. A number of research questions were raised, and the papers were studied and evaluated accordingly. We identified different types of physical activities, sensors, modalities, actuators, communications, settings and end users. A subset of the included papers, showing the most perspectives, was reviewed in depth to highlight and present their innovative research approaches and techniques. Real-time BMF has great potential in many areas. In recent years, sensors have been the main focus of these studies, but new types of processing devices, methods, and algorithms, actuators, and communication technologies and protocols will be explored in more depth in the future. This paper presents a broad insight into the field of BMF.

The Ergonomic Association between Shoulder, Neck/Head Disorders and Sedentary Activity: A Systematic Review

Background

Work-associated upper limb and neck disorders are common occupational disorders throughout the world. These disorders are usually observed more in workers who spend a long time sitting, referred to as sedentary activity (SA). The immediate and distorted risk of sedentary-related problems was considered high in Europe, Australia, and the United States. Even though mediation is convenient, it is likely to reduce office workers' risks of developing cervical and upper body pain due to sedentary work. This systematic review addresses risk factors and evaluates the relationship between SA and upper body disorders in office workers (i.e., shoulder and neck/head).

Methods

PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for articles published between January 2010 and August 2021 in the English language. The three keywords “sedentary,” “upper body elements,” and “work” (and their derivatives) were searched to identify studies and carry out this systematic review. The articles were searched so that all three keywords or at least a derivation of each keyword should appear. Findings. Of the 40 articles that met the enclosure criteria, 32 studies examined the association of SA and upper body elements during both office and computer work. However, three articles were evaluated in the sit-stand work environment, and in the remaining five studies, one was evaluated during teaching, two during hospital work, and two during mixed working conditions.

Conclusions

Research related to SA focuses mainly on extended risk factors, but there was no focus on other aspects, such as muscle and tendon contractions. As there is a convincing connection between SA and the upper body, our close examination identifies the need to institutionalize a system for collecting, analyzing, and describing the impact and short-term effects of SA on the upper body. Additionally, some suggestions were made to minimize the risk in a sedentary working environment.