Applied ergonomics
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Clinical Trial
Schoolbag carriage and schoolbag-related musculoskeletal discomfort among primary school children.
Schoolbag carriage is a common occurrence and has been associated with musculoskeletal discomfort in children. The current study investigated the relationship between schoolbag-related musculoskeletal discomfort and individual, physical and psychosocial risk factors in primary school children in Ireland. A cross-sectional survey and pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used. ⋯ Multiple logistic regression models indicated that psychosocial factors and a history of discomfort were predictors of schoolbag-related back discomfort, while gender (being female) and a history of discomfort were predictors of schoolbag-related shoulder discomfort. None of the physical factors (absolute/relative schoolbag weight, carrying an additional item, duration of carriage, method of travel to school) were associated with schoolbag-related discomfort. This study highlights the need to consider the multi-factorial nature of schoolbag-related discomfort in children, and also the need to identify background pain as its presence can inadvertently influence the reporting of 'schoolbag-related' discomfort if it is not accounted for.
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Job engagement has received widespread attention in organizational research but has rarely been empirically investigated in the context of safety. In the present study, we examined the mediating role of job engagement in the relationships between job characteristics and safety performance using self-reported data collected at a coal mining company in China. ⋯ Job engagement partially mediated the relationships between job resources and safety performance dimensions. Theoretical and practical implications and directions for future research are also discussed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Mobile input device type, texting style and screen size influence upper extremity and trapezius muscle activity, and cervical posture while texting.
This study aimed to determine the effects of input device type, texting style, and screen size on upper extremity and trapezius muscle activity and cervical posture during a short texting task in college students. Users of a physical keypad produced greater thumb, finger flexor, and wrist extensor muscle activity than when texting with a touch screen device of similar dimensions. ⋯ There was also a trend for greater finger flexor, wrist extensor, and trapezius muscle activity as touch screen size increased, and for greater cervical flexion, although mean differences for cervical flexion were small. Future research can help inform whether the ergonomic stressors observed during texting are associated with musculoskeletal disorder risk.
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Accurate prediction of driving behaviour is essential for an active safety system to ensure driver safety. A model for predicting lane-changing behaviour is developed from the results of naturalistic on-road experiment for use in a lane-changing assistance system. Lane changing intent time window is determined via visual characteristics extraction of rearview mirrors. ⋯ The lane-change-intent time window is approximately 5 s long, depending on the subjects. The proposed model can accurately predict drivers' lane changing behaviour for at least 1.5 s in advance. The accuracy and time series characteristics of the model are superior to the use of turn signals in predicting lane-changing behaviour.
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Physicians' work schedules are an important determinant of their own wellbeing and that of their patients. This study considers whether allowing physicians control over their work hours ameliorates the effects of demanding work schedules. ⋯ For participants who never worked long shifts, work time control was associated with fewer short sleeps, but this was not the case for those who did work long shifts. Optimizing the balance between schedule flexibility and patient needs could enhance physicians' sleep when working the night shift, thereby reducing their levels of fatigue and enhancing patient care.