Gait asymmetry is usually related to pathologies. However, lower limbs symmetry during gait in he... more Gait asymmetry is usually related to pathologies. However, lower limbs symmetry during gait in healthy individuals is still controversial. The aim of study was to assess knee movements’ symmetry on sagittal and frontal planes based on Maupas’ criterion. Nine healthy subjects have taken part in the study. Knee movements were recorded by flexible electrogoniometers attached to both knees. The subjects passed by a familiarization period in the treadmill and, after this, the movements were recorded during 90 seconds at 5,0 Km/h. The recording was partitioned as strides and normalized in time using a routine developed in MatLab. Movement curves were derived from 50 strides. Maximum angle and range of movement were also calculated. Based on Maupas et al. (1999) criterion, subjects’ knees were considered symmetrical for the flexion-extension and valgus-varus movements. However, high variability was verified on valgus-varus movements and 33.3% of subjects presented angles differences between knees higher than 6.8°. These results should be analyzed carefully as some crosstalk effect can be expected.
Nursing workers are exposed to several risk factors which contribute to musculoskeletal disorders... more Nursing workers are exposed to several risk factors which contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD). Workplace exercise is among the measures for controlling WRMD. However, work organization aspects can affect the adherence to exercise programs. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify organizational aspects related to workers´ exercise adherence in different hospital sectors. Methods: 135 nursing aides from 3 hospital sectors were invited to take part in the study. Personal, occupational aspects and sick leave information were analyzed together with responses to the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). An exercise program was offered over 3 months. Data were analyzed by chi-square tests. Results: Only 1/3 of the workers took part in the exercise program. Most of them (64%/N=24) were from Intensive Care Units. There was no association between exercise adherence and organizational aspects evaluated by the JCQ. There was a difference between exercise adherence and the work sector (p≤0.0001). Conclusions: Other aspects of work organization not evaluated by the JCQ can influence exercise adherence and should be investigated in future studies. In addition, intervention aiming to improve work conditions needs be conducted in a broader context, in which Ergonomics plays a major role.
O downsizing e a reengenharia têm sido empregados visando a melhorar a eficiência organizacional,... more O downsizing e a reengenharia têm sido empregados visando a melhorar a eficiência organizacional, a produtividade e a competitividade, contudo, essas mudanças envolvem a redução do número de funcionários e a sobrecarga para os trabalhadores remanescentes. O objetivo deste estudo foi o de avaliar o impacto de duas estratégias de organização do trabalho quanto aos níveis de percepção de esforço e dor relatados pelos funcionários de um setor industrial submetido à reorganização. Para tanto, fizeram parte deste estudo 25 funcionárias que trabalhavam em uma empresa multinacional. As participantes foram avaliadas quanto aos níveis de percepção de esforço, por meio da Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE), e de dor, por meio da Escala Visual Analógica (EVA), em dois contextos organizacionais: 1 - o trabalho era desenvolvido por apenas três trabalhadoras em cada célula de trabalho; e 2 - este mesmo trabalho era realizado por quatro trabalhadoras. Constatou-se diferença nos níveis de percepção de esforço entre as estratégias tanto no início quanto no final dos turnos e diferença nos níveis de percepção de dor entre as estratégias somente no início dos turnos. Sugere-se que a RPE é uma ferramenta sensível para diferenciar níveis de percepção de esforço ao longo do dia trabalhado e entre as demandas de trabalho diversas, reforçando a importância da utilização de escalas psicofísicas em contextos ocupacionais. Sugere-se, também, que atenção deve ser dada à saúde dos trabalhadores para evitar os efeitos negativos do downsizing quando processos de produção são alterados sem considerar o impacto das novas medidas sobre a capacidade funcional dos envolvidos
The aim of this review is to present results from different studies related to the human grip mov... more The aim of this review is to present results from different studies related to the human grip movement. Different models for classifying the prehension patterns are described, as well as, the criterions in which they were based on. Some variables influencing the grip strength, such as posture, width and anthropometric factors are also described. The variety of the systems used to describe and classify the human types of prehension indicates the difficulty in adopting an unique model of classification. It is possible that a singular mode, even a good one, would not be able to address to all particularities of the human prehension. Therefore, it seems interesting to describe some different models available in the literature, in order to help authors searching for a more suitable on to a specific objective.O objetivo deste estudo é apresentar brevemente alguns dos estudos realizados sobre o movimento de preensão humana. São descritas algumas das variáveis que influenciam a força de pre...
Gait asymmetry is usually related to pathologies. However, lower limbs symmetry during gait in he... more Gait asymmetry is usually related to pathologies. However, lower limbs symmetry during gait in healthy individuals is still controversial. The aim of study was to assess knee movements’ symmetry on sagittal and frontal planes based on Maupas’ criterion. Nine healthy subjects have taken part in the study. Knee movements were recorded by flexible electrogoniometers attached to both knees. The subjects passed by a familiarization period in the treadmill and, after this, the movements were recorded during 90 seconds at 5,0 Km/h. The recording was partitioned as strides and normalized in time using a routine developed in MatLab. Movement curves were derived from 50 strides. Maximum angle and range of movement were also calculated. Based on Maupas et al. (1999) criterion, subjects’ knees were considered symmetrical for the flexion-extension and valgus-varus movements. However, high variability was verified on valgus-varus movements and 33.3% of subjects presented angles differences between knees higher than 6.8°. These results should be analyzed carefully as some crosstalk effect can be expected.
Nursing workers are exposed to several risk factors which contribute to musculoskeletal disorders... more Nursing workers are exposed to several risk factors which contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD). Workplace exercise is among the measures for controlling WRMD. However, work organization aspects can affect the adherence to exercise programs. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify organizational aspects related to workers´ exercise adherence in different hospital sectors. Methods: 135 nursing aides from 3 hospital sectors were invited to take part in the study. Personal, occupational aspects and sick leave information were analyzed together with responses to the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). An exercise program was offered over 3 months. Data were analyzed by chi-square tests. Results: Only 1/3 of the workers took part in the exercise program. Most of them (64%/N=24) were from Intensive Care Units. There was no association between exercise adherence and organizational aspects evaluated by the JCQ. There was a difference between exercise adherence and the work sector (p≤0.0001). Conclusions: Other aspects of work organization not evaluated by the JCQ can influence exercise adherence and should be investigated in future studies. In addition, intervention aiming to improve work conditions needs be conducted in a broader context, in which Ergonomics plays a major role.
O downsizing e a reengenharia têm sido empregados visando a melhorar a eficiência organizacional,... more O downsizing e a reengenharia têm sido empregados visando a melhorar a eficiência organizacional, a produtividade e a competitividade, contudo, essas mudanças envolvem a redução do número de funcionários e a sobrecarga para os trabalhadores remanescentes. O objetivo deste estudo foi o de avaliar o impacto de duas estratégias de organização do trabalho quanto aos níveis de percepção de esforço e dor relatados pelos funcionários de um setor industrial submetido à reorganização. Para tanto, fizeram parte deste estudo 25 funcionárias que trabalhavam em uma empresa multinacional. As participantes foram avaliadas quanto aos níveis de percepção de esforço, por meio da Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE), e de dor, por meio da Escala Visual Analógica (EVA), em dois contextos organizacionais: 1 - o trabalho era desenvolvido por apenas três trabalhadoras em cada célula de trabalho; e 2 - este mesmo trabalho era realizado por quatro trabalhadoras. Constatou-se diferença nos níveis de percepção de esforço entre as estratégias tanto no início quanto no final dos turnos e diferença nos níveis de percepção de dor entre as estratégias somente no início dos turnos. Sugere-se que a RPE é uma ferramenta sensível para diferenciar níveis de percepção de esforço ao longo do dia trabalhado e entre as demandas de trabalho diversas, reforçando a importância da utilização de escalas psicofísicas em contextos ocupacionais. Sugere-se, também, que atenção deve ser dada à saúde dos trabalhadores para evitar os efeitos negativos do downsizing quando processos de produção são alterados sem considerar o impacto das novas medidas sobre a capacidade funcional dos envolvidos
The aim of this review is to present results from different studies related to the human grip mov... more The aim of this review is to present results from different studies related to the human grip movement. Different models for classifying the prehension patterns are described, as well as, the criterions in which they were based on. Some variables influencing the grip strength, such as posture, width and anthropometric factors are also described. The variety of the systems used to describe and classify the human types of prehension indicates the difficulty in adopting an unique model of classification. It is possible that a singular mode, even a good one, would not be able to address to all particularities of the human prehension. Therefore, it seems interesting to describe some different models available in the literature, in order to help authors searching for a more suitable on to a specific objective.O objetivo deste estudo é apresentar brevemente alguns dos estudos realizados sobre o movimento de preensão humana. São descritas algumas das variáveis que influenciam a força de pre...
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