ErgonomicsPub Date : 2026-10-06DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2026.2740201
Miguel Angel Rodríguez-Orona, Aide Aracely Maldonado-Macías, Cesar Omar Balderrama-Armendariz, Mónica G Gutiérrez-Hernández, Arturo Realyvásquez-Vargas, Juan L Hernández Arellano
{"title":"Design and preliminary psychometric validation of an ergonomics-oriented questionnaire applied to mexican teleworkers in working from home conditions using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.","authors":"Miguel Angel Rodríguez-Orona, Aide Aracely Maldonado-Macías, Cesar Omar Balderrama-Armendariz, Mónica G Gutiérrez-Hernández, Arturo Realyvásquez-Vargas, Juan L Hernández Arellano","doi":"10.1080/00140139.2026.2740201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2026.2740201","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper develops and psychometrically validates a four-factor WFH ergonomics questionnaire and examines its factorial validity and reliability in Mexican teleworkers. WFH studies have gained global attention, yet research linking WFH environments to musculoskeletal discomfort remains limited in Mexico. To address this gap, the questionnaire was developed through comprehensive literature review and digitally distributed to N=202 Mexican teleworkers in the manufacturing sector. The questionnaire was preliminary validated through EFA & CFA analyses using factor loadings for item selection and Scree plot, Eigenvalue and Parallel analysis for factor selection to obtain a refined 12-variable and 4-factor model. Statistical validation involved goodness of fit indices, internal consistency and reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. Because the CFA was conducted on a non-independent sample, the model fit results may therefore be optimistic. The questionnaire provides a standardized basis for ergonomic risk surveillance among teleworkers, supporting preventive interventions at organizational and national levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":50503,"journal":{"name":"Ergonomics","volume":" ","pages":"1-23"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149117887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ErgonomicsPub Date : 2026-10-03DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2026.2740202
Myesha A Senior, Myrtede Alfred, Tosin Akintunde, Enid Montague
{"title":"Uncovering what hurts and what helps: a patient work systems analysis of contextual factors impacting access to perinatal mental health care in Toronto, Canada.","authors":"Myesha A Senior, Myrtede Alfred, Tosin Akintunde, Enid Montague","doi":"10.1080/00140139.2026.2740202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2026.2740202","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Perinatal mental health (PMH) challenges impact numerous mothers in Canada, with disproportionate effects observed within racialised populations. Despite increasing awareness, disparities in access to care continue to persist. This study explores the lived experiences of racialised mothers accessing PMH care in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), with a focus on contextual factors across the patient work system. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen racialised mothers within one-year postpartum. Data analysis employed an inductive thematic approach with emergent themes and contextual factors mapped across the patient work system. Findings underscored an interaction between micro- and macro-level, wherein varying levels of trust, comfort, and self-reliance corresponded with care that was fragmented, delayed, or absent. At the meso-level, emotionally engaged providers, multimodal services, and robust community-based support emerged as areas of resilience. Grounded in the patient work of racialised mothers, preliminary design recommendations are proposed for the design of proactive PMH care systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":50503,"journal":{"name":"Ergonomics","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149117979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ErgonomicsPub Date : 2026-10-02DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2026.2741275
Yuchen Ji, Zongqi Liang, Jiaqi Huang, Da Tao
{"title":"EEG-based mental workload recognition during multi-tasking scenarios: the role of resting-state normalization and brain region of EEG features.","authors":"Yuchen Ji, Zongqi Liang, Jiaqi Huang, Da Tao","doi":"10.1080/00140139.2026.2741275","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2026.2741275","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>EEG-based mental workload (MWL) recognition is challenged by inter-individual variability and limited model interpretability. This study investigated MWL recognition in long-term multi-tasking scenarios using resting-state EEG normalisation and regional feature analysis. Participants performed multi-tasking operations at three difficulty levels, while resting-state and task-state EEG, behavioural performance, and NASA-TLX ratings were collected. The best whole-brain model achieved 93.78% ± 0.45% accuracy under standard normalisation, while the parietal configuration retained substantial recognition capability with fewer electrodes. Resting-state normalisation changed EEG feature-importance patterns, but its effects on classification were classifier-dependent rather than uniformly beneficial. SHAP analysis identified prominent frontal and parietal contributions. The findings support interpretable and lightweight EEG-based MWL monitoring in complex operational environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":50503,"journal":{"name":"Ergonomics","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149117908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ErgonomicsPub Date : 2026-10-01Epub Date: 2025-10-06DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2025.2559968
Benjamin A McIntosh, Kayla M Fewster
{"title":"Exploring the effects of task design on the flexion-relaxation phenomenon in the lumbar spine during repetitive lifting.","authors":"Benjamin A McIntosh, Kayla M Fewster","doi":"10.1080/00140139.2025.2559968","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00140139.2025.2559968","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Repetitive forward flexion of the lumbar spine can result in creep deformation which can disrupt load sharing between active and passive tissues. Lumbar spine kinematics and lumbar erector spinae (LES) electromyography were used to measure flexion relaxation (FR) angle changes across two lifting conditions matched for cumulative external load (Condition 1: 75 lifts of 13 kg load, Condition 2: 150 lifts of 6.5 kg load). Males showed increases in FR onset angle in response to the low load, high repetition condition, while females displayed increases in these metrics in the high load, low repetition condition. This work suggests that task design of a repetitive lifting task, and creep accumulation in the lumbar spine may be sex specific and future work should look to consider both task parameters, as well as worker demographics when designing and evaluating repetitive lifting task.</p>","PeriodicalId":50503,"journal":{"name":"Ergonomics","volume":" ","pages":"2135-2147"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ErgonomicsPub Date : 2026-10-01Epub Date: 2025-10-14DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2025.2567465
Yu Feng, Liuna Geng, Junpeng Chen
{"title":"Calming the road rage: the role of nature exposure in reducing driving anger and promoting safer behaviours.","authors":"Yu Feng, Liuna Geng, Junpeng Chen","doi":"10.1080/00140139.2025.2567465","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00140139.2025.2567465","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Driving anger increases accident risk and undermines well-being, yet effective regulatory strategies remain understudied. Drawing on the emotion regulation framework, this study examines whether nature exposure can improve driving performance by regulating driving anger elicited by challenging driving scenarios. A total of 156 licenced drivers viewed either urban or natural landscape images before a simulated driving task under high traffic density and time pressure. Driving anger was measured using the adapted Task-Specific Driving Anger Scale (DAS), while driving behaviour was assessed through average speed, speeding frequency and frequency of lane departures without signalling. Results showed that nature exposure reduced anger, which in turn lowered speed, decreased speeding and diminished lane departures. A fuzzy comprehensive evaluation further corroborated the findings using an integrated indicator of driving safety. This study highlights the potential of nature-based regulation to reduce driving anger, with applications in driver training, waiting times and urban planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":50503,"journal":{"name":"Ergonomics","volume":" ","pages":"2216-2229"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145287599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ErgonomicsPub Date : 2026-10-01Epub Date: 2025-10-15DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2025.2571792
Chiho Lim, Nade Liang, Ryan Thomas Villarreal, Kwaku O Prakah-Asante, Brandon J Pitts, Denny Yu
{"title":"Multimodal prediction of situation awareness during automated driving: a gaze and EEG-based approach.","authors":"Chiho Lim, Nade Liang, Ryan Thomas Villarreal, Kwaku O Prakah-Asante, Brandon J Pitts, Denny Yu","doi":"10.1080/00140139.2025.2571792","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00140139.2025.2571792","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drivers' situation awareness (SA) is often assessed using indirect behavioural indicators such as takeover performance, despite known limitations. Many studies have also focused heavily on visual attention, primarily capturing the perception level of SA. To address this, we developed two physiological SA prediction models. Model 1 links physiological responses to <i>full-level SA</i> (perception, comprehension, and projection), while Model 2 targets <i>comprehension-level SA</i> to examine mechanisms beyond perception. A simulated driving study was conducted with 39 participants, during which eye-tracking and EEG data were collected. In Model 1, both modalities distinguished the degree of <i>full-level SA</i>. In Model 2, eye-tracking metrics differentiated successful from unsuccessful comprehension. In both models, the eye-tracking-based model outperformed the EEG-based model. However, combined model showed better performance, particularly in predicting <i>comprehension-level SA</i>. These findings demonstrate the benefit of integrating cognitive state monitoring beyond perception alone, especially for assessing higher-level SA in automated driving.</p>","PeriodicalId":50503,"journal":{"name":"Ergonomics","volume":" ","pages":"2251-2279"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145294316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ErgonomicsPub Date : 2026-10-01DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2026.2741714
Vitor Fernando Silva Gomes Pereira, Adson Eduardo Resende, Mateus Pereira Abraçado, Raoni Rocha, Francisco José de Castro Moura Duarte
{"title":"Building an operational experience feedback to foster innovation in a thermal power plant.","authors":"Vitor Fernando Silva Gomes Pereira, Adson Eduardo Resende, Mateus Pereira Abraçado, Raoni Rocha, Francisco José de Castro Moura Duarte","doi":"10.1080/00140139.2026.2741714","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2026.2741714","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The theme Operational Experience Feedback (OEF) has been discussed in safety literature for decades, and studies show how knowledge management enables organisations to collect, manage, and use knowledge, while fostering innovation. This study presents the process of an OEF at a thermal power plant, developed in collaboration with the workforce, which enabled workers to design new tools and products. Existing discussion spaces, tools, and resources were identified, and the intervention systematised the process, improved existing tools, created new ones, and assigned responsibilities to ensure closure of the cycle: input, processing, monitoring, and feedback. The main limitations were identified, and a new round of meetings allowed the co-construction of a new OEF system. Once implemented, it may support a proactive organisation, acting preventively and fostering innovation.</p>","PeriodicalId":50503,"journal":{"name":"Ergonomics","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149117832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ErgonomicsPub Date : 2026-10-01Epub Date: 2025-10-07DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2025.2563363
Phoebe Gray, Elizabeth Austin, Colleen Cheek, Lieke Richardson, Emilie Francis-Auton, Nema Hayba, Robyn Clay-Williams
{"title":"Understanding mental health care experiences in the emergency department using a human factors approach.","authors":"Phoebe Gray, Elizabeth Austin, Colleen Cheek, Lieke Richardson, Emilie Francis-Auton, Nema Hayba, Robyn Clay-Williams","doi":"10.1080/00140139.2025.2563363","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00140139.2025.2563363","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hospital emergency departments (EDs) play a critical role in providing acute psychiatric care, however mental health patients and staff report poor care experiences. This study used an ED work domain analysis (WDA), as a framework for understanding care delivery experiences for mental health patients and epistemic experts. Interviews with 29 patients and 16 mental health epistemic experts from two Australian metropolitan hospitals revealed key concerns about care delivery. Patients reported issues including poor communication, unnecessarily repetitive assessments, and patient sensory overload in the ED environment. Epistemic experts described inadequacies of the broader mental health care system, including inadequate community follow-up care and a lack of mental health-specific training for staff. Findings suggest targeted interventions to improve system functions, processes, and environmental factors, ultimately enhancing patient care. Future research can apply this WDA model to other hospitals to improve ED experiences for mental health patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":50503,"journal":{"name":"Ergonomics","volume":" ","pages":"2148-2164"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145245675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ErgonomicsPub Date : 2026-10-01Epub Date: 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2025.2567471
Eleanore Rae Scheer, Melissa Choi, Divya Srinivasan, Elvie Sellers, Courtney C Rogers, Rupa S Valdez
{"title":"A perspective on engaging the disability community in exoskeleton design, implementation, and policymaking.","authors":"Eleanore Rae Scheer, Melissa Choi, Divya Srinivasan, Elvie Sellers, Courtney C Rogers, Rupa S Valdez","doi":"10.1080/00140139.2025.2567471","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00140139.2025.2567471","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cutting-edge exoskeleton technologies are being developed to rehabilitate older adult patients in medical settings and prevent injury of able-bodied individuals in industrial settings. However, both medical and occupational exoskeletons offer yet underrecognized opportunities to support individuals across the full range of disabled experiences. This perspective piece offers guidance towards design, implementation, and policy for exoskeletons to be used by a diverse set of disabled individuals. To improve the usefulness, usability, and safety of exoskeletons for disabled users, ergonomists can employ inclusive design, universal design, user-centered design, and participatory design principles. In applying these principles, ergonomists must partner with disabled users as they are experts of their own different and overlapping physical, cognitive, sensory, and mental-health-related disabilities. This partnership should be long-standing and extend throughout all stages of the design process via participatory design sessions and community engagement studios.</p>","PeriodicalId":50503,"journal":{"name":"Ergonomics","volume":" ","pages":"2017-2030"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145208419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ErgonomicsPub Date : 2026-10-01DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2026.2739579
Rieley Hunt, Nadine Marie Moacdieh
{"title":"Measuring display clutter in different contexts: evidence from performance and attention in websites and maps.","authors":"Rieley Hunt, Nadine Marie Moacdieh","doi":"10.1080/00140139.2026.2739579","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2026.2739579","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Algorithms can be used to measure display clutter, but their validation often relies on comparing to subjective ratings, rather than to performance and attentional decrements. It is unclear which algorithms work best in different contexts. In this study, participants searched for targets in websites and maps. Feature congestion (FC), subband entropy (SE), and edge density (ED; Rosenholtz, Li, and Nakano 2007) were calculated for each image. Results showed that only FC is positively linked to response time in websites and maps, but more so for websites and moderately in both cases. SE was negatively correlated with mean saccade length in websites. In maps, all clutter metrics were positively correlated with mean fixation duration, while FC and ED were negatively correlated to mean saccade length. The findings provide recommendations for which clutter algorithms and eye tracking metrics to use for websites and maps, while suggesting caution about some metrics.</p>","PeriodicalId":50503,"journal":{"name":"Ergonomics","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149117951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}