Applied Ergonomics最新文献

{"title":"Development of ergonomic risk factors (physical and psychosocial) questionnaire among preschool teachers' work environment","authors":"Nedonya Abreek-Sarhan ,&nbsp;Bilal Sarhan ,&nbsp;Leonid Kalichman ,&nbsp;David Ezra ,&nbsp;Yaacov G Bachner ,&nbsp;Deborah Alperovitch-Najenson","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are prevalent and costly among preschool teachers and assistants (PTAs), contributing to high turnover rates. This study aimed to develop a self-assessment ergonomic questionnaire to evaluate physical and psychosocial risk factors in PTA work environments. A total of 318 PTAs were randomly selected to complete an online questionnaire covering demographic details, musculoskeletal pain, and occupational conditions, rating 73 items (attitudes) related to <strong>everyday</strong> tasks and psychosocial risk factors. The finalized Preschool Teachers' Work Environment Questionnaire (PEQ) comprised 46 items across five domains, demonstrating high reliability (Cronbach's Alpha: 0.814–0.953) and excellent test-retest stability (ICC &gt;0.97). Logistic regression revealed significant associations between ergonomic factors (e.g., awkward and static postures, repetitive motions, and improper tools and equipment design) and WMSDs. The PEQ is an effective tool for identifying WMSD risk factors, underscoring the need for interventions that improve the well-being of PTAs. Future research should predict WMSD among diverse preschool teachers' populations in Israel and globally to identify risk factors and develop targeted prevention strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104508"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143687611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Passive arm-support and back-support exoskeletons have distinct phase-dependent effects on physical demands during cart pushing and pulling: An exploratory study","authors":"Hanjun Park,&nbsp;Alex Noll,&nbsp;Sunwook Kim,&nbsp;Maury A. Nussbaum","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Arm-support exoskeletons (ASEs) and back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) can be effective in reducing physical demands during various occupational tasks, yet evidence of their effects in pushing and pulling tasks remains limited. We examined the effects of using a passive ASE and a BSE on task completion time, shoulder and trunk kinematics, and muscle activity in the shoulder and back while pushing and pulling a moderately loaded (100 kg) cart. Forty volunteers (24 M and 16 F) completed the study. Using the BSE substantially reduced thoracic and lumbar erector spinae muscle activity for males, especially during the initial and ending phases of pushing (by up to ∼31.4 %) and pulling (by up to ∼25.4 %) compared to the <em>No Device</em> (ND) condition. In contrast, using the ASE showed no significant benefits, with females experiencing an increase in anterior deltoid muscle activity (by up to ∼46.3 %) compared to ND. Findings from this study help to understand the effects of BSEs and ASEs in pushing and pulling tasks and support the development of more versatile exoskeletons.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104510"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing posture and fatigue during neonatal positive pressure ventilation","authors":"Jacqueline Hannan ,&nbsp;Gary Weiner ,&nbsp;Leia Stirling","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are often required to complete their work under suboptimal ergonomic conditions in critical situations, inducing fatigue and musculoskeletal injury risk. These risks may vary depending on equipment and technique choices, which could require differing postures. Neonatal positive pressure ventilation (PPV) is administered to newborns who require resuscitation by holding a face mask over the nose and mouth and forcing air into the lungs with a device, such as a T-piece or a self-inflating bag (SIB). This study assessed if varying PPV device type and mask hold strategies impacted fatigue and musculoskeletal injury risk. Results show that using a SIB caused more frequent forearm extensor muscle fatigue (47.61% of trials) compared to the T-piece (14.29% of trials) and increased shoulder musculoskeletal injury risk (mean shoulder elevation angles: 45.58°(SIB) vs. 27.29°(T-piece)). When these devices are clinically comparable, the T-piece should be implemented for improved ergonomic outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104506"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human slip perception while walking on ice: Can we rely on self-reported slip counts for winter footwear evaluations?","authors":"Davood Dadkhah ,&nbsp;Hamed Ghomashchi ,&nbsp;Tilak Dutta","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104487","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104487","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fall-related injuries on icy surfaces are a major public health concern. Slip-resistant winter boots that incorporate the latest composite outsole technologies have demonstrated the potential to prevent falls in winter weather in lab-based testing. However, the real-world benefits of this composite footwear remain difficult to measure because of a lack of accurate evaluation methods. In particular, existing methods rely on comparing self-reported slip counts to identify differences in slip resistance performance between different footwear models. However, prior research has primarily focused on slip detection on soapy and oily surfaces, revealing that small slips (<span><math><mo>≤</mo></math></span>30 mm) often go undetected, with humans correctly identifying them only 50% of the time. No studies have yet examined slip perception on icy surfaces, which possess significantly lower coefficients of friction compared to soapy and oily environments. The objective of this study was to investigate the agreement between self-reported slip counts and motion capture detected slips while walking on ice with winter footwear.</div><div>Twenty-five healthy participants were asked to walk on ice surfaces (melting ice 0.5 ± 1.0 °C and cold ice -3.5 ± 1.0 °C) while wearing three models of winter boots with varying slip resistance performance (poor, moderate, good) and were asked to report any slips they experienced. Ground truth slip identification and slip length measurement was done using an 8-camera Vicon motion capture system. Slips were categorized as small slips (<span><math><mo>≤</mo></math></span>30 mm), moderate slips (30–100 mm), or large slips (<span><math><mo>&gt;</mo></math></span>100 mm) for each boot and the proportion detected by participants was calculated.</div><div>A total of 7743 slips were identified from 53,944 steps captured by the motion capture system with 4395, 1999 and 1349 slips recorded from the boots with poor, moderate and good slip resistance, respectively. These included 1658 small slips, 2521 moderate slips, and 3564 large slips. Overall, participants only reported 38.3% of these slips including 375 small slips (22.6% reported), 823 moderate slips (32.6% reported) and 1767 large slips (49.6% reported). These findings showed a strong positive correlation between self-reported slips and slip length (<span><math><mi>ρ</mi></math></span> = 0.573, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi><mo>&lt;</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>001</mn></mrow></math></span>) demonstrating that participants were significantly more likely to report larger slips.</div><div>The findings of this study demonstrate the need to develop more objective methods of recording slip events for real-world winter footwear evaluations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104487"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143641789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Applying multiscale entropy for evaluating website visual complexity in an agile project: Using physiological data","authors":"Chih-Feng Cheng,&nbsp;Chiuhsiang Joe Lin,&nbsp;Ching-Yu Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104509","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104509","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The perceived visual complexity of a website immediately and persistently impacts the user experience. However, existing visual complexity research methods in the literature are not suitable for agile website development, often associating visual complexity with website structure and requiring advanced programming skills and large participant samples. This study proposes an accessible, definition-independent method to evaluate website complexity using multiscale entropy analysis of physiological signals. Our results show that the multiscale entropy derived from physiological data can effectively differentiate websites with varying complexity levels, even with a small number of participants. This approach achieves robust and significant effects, enabling its simultaneous application with user experience assessment in the agile website development process. The proposed MSE-based method provides an objective, unified tool to evaluate visual complexity without the burden of defining and calculating visual complexity, allowing design teams to focus on the website itself during agile software development projects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104509"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143641790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of seat belt buckle release forces in post-rollover scenarios: Implications for passenger safety","authors":"Shivaprasad Nageswaran ,&nbsp;Yousif Abulhassan ,&nbsp;Jerry Davis ,&nbsp;Richard Sesek ,&nbsp;Mark Schall ,&nbsp;Sean Gallagher","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104505","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104505","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seat belts have been in use for nearly 140 years and have a proven track record to be the single most effective tool in reducing fatal and nonfatal injuries in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). However, belted passengers still contribute to more than 40% of all MVC fatalities. The likelihood of severe injuries and fatalities is significantly greater in rollover crashes. The motivation behind this research is to address some of the contributing factors related to belted rollover fatalities. In the United States, they contribute to about 3% of all motor vehicle crashes but account for almost 30% of all fatalities. The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of adults to unlatch a push-button seat belt buckle in a rolled-over orientation. Fifty-five (55) out of sixty (60) subjects in this study (92%) were able to unlatch their seat belt while in a rolled-over orientation. However, 96% of the female subjects and 83% of the male subjects were unable to exert enough force to exceed the force requirement of 133N specified in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 209 at any given orientation. For male subjects, a reduction of almost 22%, and for female subjects, a reduction of almost 13% in the mean push force from upright to rolled-over orientation was observed. Results of the study suggest that reducing the maximum buckle release force to 50 N would accommodate the strength capabilities of 95% of subjects to unlatch the seat belt buckle in any orientation. This study emphasizes the need for investigating seat belt standards and regulations, some of which have not been changed since their inception in 1965.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104505"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143636591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Augmented reality head-mounted display at–sea use causes cybersickness","authors":"Ramy Kirollos,&nbsp;Wasim Merchant","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104484","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104484","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nausea and other debilitating symptoms associated with cybersickness continue to pose a significant challenge when using extended reality (xR) head-mounted displays (HMD). This study investigated if augmented reality (AR) HMD at-sea use produced cybersickness. Participants performed an observation task in AR HMD and reported their sickness at six, 5-min intervals. Results from Navy participants at sea were compared to another Navy sample and a general military sample performing the same task on land. This was done to understand if Navy personnel can better tolerate sickness than the general military sample and determine the interaction between seasickness and cybersickness. Data indicated that Navy personnel do not appear to be adapted to cybersickness. Findings also indicated that seasickness and cybersickness combined to be significantly more severe than seasickness alone. This led us to conclude that AR HMD use should be employed cautiously at sea.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104484"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143636664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Kinematic effects of a back-assistance exoskeleton during human locomotion","authors":"Elisa Panero ,&nbsp;Stefano Pastorelli ,&nbsp;Laura Gastaldi","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the last years, Industry 5.0 has proposed a sustainable and resilient industry model, where the human-centric approach places human needs at the center of the production process. Wearable robots have been designed to assist users, providing support for the entire body or specific regions during task performance. Ergonomic investigations are necessary to test the effects, advantages and possible drawbacks of occupational wearable devices. The present study focuses on the biomechanics of locomotion while wearing the Laevo V2.5 exoskeleton. Experimental tests involved twelve healthy volunteers. Spatio-temporal parameters, human 3D kinematics and exoskeleton 3D kinematics were compared in three settings (without exoskeleton, wearing the exoskeleton without and with passive support). These comparisons aimed to quantify the effects and the possible restrictions on user kinematics due to the interaction with the exoskeleton. Results highlighted a significant reduction in the gait speed (1.14 m/s no-exo, 1.07 m/s exo-no-support, 1.05 m/s exo-with-support) and the stride length (1.29 m no-exo, 1.24 m exo-no-support, 1.23 m exo-with-support) when wearing the exoskeleton. Human angular kinematics showed significant reductions in the range of motion for all joints when wearing the exoskeleton. However, results pointed out no significant differences between the no-support and support configurations, indicating that the primary effect is due to the exoskeleton structure rather than the support provided. Further assessment is essential to determine whether these changes in human kinematics align with ergonomic standards and reflect user adaptation, or if they fulfill acceptable limits, potentially leading to long-term negative effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104502"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143609772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of postural loading during static posture holding on concurrent executive function task performance","authors":"Yihun Jeong ,&nbsp;Haeseok Jeong ,&nbsp;Doo Won Han ,&nbsp;Philjun Moon ,&nbsp;Woojin Park","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104501","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104501","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the effects of postural loading during static posture holding on the performance of concurrent executive function tasks. Three executive function tasks, the letter memory, number-letter, and Stroop tasks, were employed for updating, shifting, and inhibition, respectively. Static posture holding involved three levels of postural loading (PL1, PL2, and PL3), corresponding to OWAS classes 1, 2, and 4, respectively. Increased postural loading resulted in decreased performance across tasks. At PL2 and PL3, compared to PL1, total score in the letter memory task decreased by 4.56% and 13.68%, switch trial reaction time in the number-letter task increased by 1.47% and 15.63%, and incongruent trial reaction time in the Stroop task increased by 4.15% and 13.44%. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between postural loading and executive functions, and offer valuable insights into how managing postural demands may enhance cognitive task performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104501"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drivers’ overall comfort experiences of reclined positions in a passenger car with an automated driving function","authors":"M. Makris ,&nbsp;A. Muthumani ,&nbsp;M. Herrera ,&nbsp;D. Wang ,&nbsp;M. Johansson ,&nbsp;A.-L. Osvalder","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104503","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104503","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>—Automated driving (AD) in cars enables reclined positions when drivers disengage from driving tasks. The objective was to explore driver comfort in self-selected reclined positions during AD, and whether the chosen seat back angle is affected by stature. The study involved 29 participants in upright and reclined positions during AD on a test track at 30 km/h. After experiencing AD, the participants could adjust their reclined position settings. Seat settings of upright, reclined and adjusted reclined positions were collected, along with questionnaire and interview data about comfort. Statistical tests and thematic analysis were performed. The results implied that drivers may prefer reclined positions during AD, if they can observe the traffic and intervene with the AD system. Regardless of stature, drivers using AD do not want to recline as much as expected from static experiments. The automotive industry should revisit expectations for reclined positions to ensure driver comfort in AD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104503"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}