Author Interviews, CDC, Exercise - Fitness, NIH, Occupational Health / 18.01.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Taylor M. Shockey, MPH Title 42 Fellow Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies NIOSH MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?  Response: Research has linked repeated exposure to occupational ergonomic hazards, such as frequent exertion and frequent standing, to injuries and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among workers. To determine the industry and occupation groups that have the highest prevalence rates of frequent exertion at work and frequent standing at work, NIOSH researchers analyzed 2015 National Health Interview Survey data. The results showed large differences among the groups with the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry group having the highest prevalence of frequent exertion and standing at work (70.9%) and the construction and extraction occupation group having the highest prevalence of frequent exertion and standing at work (76.9%). These differences indicate a need for targeted interventions to reduce workplace exposure. (more…)
Author Interviews, Lifestyle & Health / 22.07.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Maria-Gabriela Garcia Ph.D candidate Sensory-Motor Systems Lab, ETH Zurich Zurich, Switzerland and Dr. B.J. Martin University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Many workers are required to stand for prolong periods of time at their workplace. Several investigations have associated prolonged standing with back pain, and musculoskeletal disorders.  The accumulation of muscle fatigue is assumed to lead to such disorders.  However, the long-lasting effects of fatigue in the lower limbs induced by prolonged standing work have received little attention. Our main findings indicate that 5 hours of standing work including regular seated rest breaks lead to a significant long-term fatigue in the lower leg muscles.  The objective measures showed that the effects persisted at least 30 min after a seated recovery period while they were not subjectively perceived.  Thus, subjective evaluations may not be sensitive to the long-term effects of fatigue.  In addition, fatigue was not observed after 2 hours of standing work.       (more…)