Date Presented 04/13/21 Literature indicates a decline in musculoskeletal (MSK) fitness in school-age children. This study explored changes in Indiana schools over the generations that have impacted MSK performance. Rapid integration of technology was the primary change, with no corresponding adjustments in physical activity or physical environment. OTs can lead educational initiatives on ergonomics in the schools to promote MSK health and reduce risk of musculoskeletal disorders in students. Primary Author and Speaker: Priya Bakshi Additional Authors and Speakers: Sherrilene Classen, James Wersal Contributing Authors: Virginia Sisiopiku

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Although multiple robust ergonomics tools are available to assess postural risk, these tools are often too general and do not consider nuances of specific jobs. This study examined the concurrent validity of a postural assessment tool tailored to dental professionals. Findings provide support for use of this tool to assess risk and identify areas for intervention by OT practitioners. Primary Author and Speaker: Samantha Randolph Additional Authors and Speakers: Jody Liu Contributing Authors: Shawn C. Roll, Jacquelyn Dylla

Date Presented 04/22/21 The Comprehensive Operating Room Ergonomics (CORE) program was developed to address the physical and environmental demands among surgeons. This feasibility study examined the design and implementation process of an evidence-based OT ergonomics intervention using a mixed-methods research design. The CORE program supports the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Vision 2025 of promoting population health and wellness, especially among surgeons who are essential to our health care system. Primary Author and Speaker: Pamela Hess Additional Authors and Speakers: Elena Donoso Brown

Date Presented 04/22/21 This study analyzed the effects of yoga participation with active and passive ergonomic instruction on improving range of motion at the neck and shoulder, decreasing pain, and reducing perceived stress in a group of graduate students. Results show range of motion improvements when yoga and active ergonomic interventions are implemented for graduate students who spend prolonged periods of time sitting. No significant effects of these interventions were seen for pain or perceived stress. Primary Author and Speaker: David Plutschack Additional Authors and Speakers: James Wersal Contributing Authors: Sandra Winter, Sherrilene Classen

OBJECTIVE. This study evaluated the effect of an occupational therapy ergonomics intervention on the workstation design and body positioning of microscope workers at a fiber optics facility. METHOD. The study was quasi-experimental. Fifty-one microscope workers were assigned to one of three groups: control, education only, and education training. Their workstation design and body positioning were assessed before and after intervention. RESULTS. Workers who participated in a client-centered, participatory, and onsite ergonomics program demonstrated improved workstation design and improved body positioning compared with both a control group (p = .000) and an education-only group (p = .001). These results were supported through analysis of covariance and effect size calculations. Workers who received only educational handouts also demonstrated improved body positioning and workstation design when compared with the control group (p = .001). CONCLUSION. Researchers concluded that participation, client-centered training, context, and feedback represented critical components of ergonomics training.

OBJECTIVES. Handwriting is a work activity for children, hence it may be evaluated based on ergonomic factors. This study investigated whether nonproficient handwriters could be distinguished by biomechanical ergonomic factors during handwriting, as well as by measures of handwriting efficiency. Furthermore, the relationships among ergonomic factors, handwriting quality, efficiency, and measures of the handwriting process were examined. METHODS. Fifty proficient and 50 nonproficient third-grade handwriters performed a handwriting task on an electronic tablet. Biomechanical ergonomic factors, measures of handwriting quality, and efficiency were rated using the Hebrew Handwriting Evaluation. Handwriting process measures were obtained from a computerized system. RESULTS. Biomechanical ergonomic factors and handwriting efficiency measures significantly differentiated between the study groups. Significant correlations were found among ergonomic factors and handwriting quality, efficiency, and process measures. CONCLUSION. Nonproficient handwriting is a work activity that is often characterized by inferior biomechanical ergonomics, handwriting quality, efficiency, and significantly different handwriting process measures. Results provide insights that can assist in planning intervention.

BACKGROUND. Caring for one’s children is among the most ubiquitous of occupations. However, few studies have examined the ergonomic risks involved in parents caring for children at home. PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency, type, and severity of musculoskeletal symptoms in parents of children less than 4 years old. The study further examined the factors that contribute to musculoskeletal pain in this sample. METHODS. A convenience sample of 130 parents with children younger than 4 years old completed a seven-page survey that included questions related to the parents’ demographics, their musculoskeletal discomfort, their performance of child-care tasks with high biomechanical risks (such as carrying a child in a car seat), and parents’ perceived psychological strain related to caring for their children. RESULTS. Ninety-two percent (92%) of the providers were mothers. Sixty-six percent (66%) of the sample reported the presence of musculoskeletal pain. The parts of the body most affected were the low back (48%), neck (17%), upper back (16%), and shoulders (11.5%). Factors associated with musculoskeletal pain were performing child-care tasks defined as having high biomechanical risks (p = .001), the perception that caring for children is highly demanding (p = .003), and performing hobbies less than 1 hour per week (p = .04). Parents’ working status, age, and participation in other daily activities were not significantly related to musculoskeletal discomfort. CONCLUSION. This study demonstrates the high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in parents of children under the age of 4 years. It underscores the association between physical and psychological factors in the development of musculoskeletal discomfort. It suggests the need for occupational therapy wellness programs that focus on preventing musculoskeletal discomfort and providing support for the parenting role.

OBJECTIVE. The purposes of this study were to determine whether a garden trowel labeled ergonomic provided better wrist positioning when planting than a standard-designed trowel and whether participants perceived the ergonomic labeled trowel as more comfortable and easier to use than the standard-designed trowel. METHOD. Participants included 64 females, ages 20–50 years, with no self-reported disease or disability impairing their preferred upper extremity. Participants used both trowels to fill flowerpots with soil in a randomized, repeated measures, counterbalanced design. The wrist movements of ulnar and radial deviation, and palmar and dorsiflexion were measured with an electrogoniometer (Penny and Giles Biometrics Limited Goniometer XM65). Participants answered questions regarding their interest in gardening, ease of use and comfort of each trowel, and trowel preference. RESULTS. A one-tailed paired t test showed that the trowels did not differ in the extremes of dorsiflexion elicited and the extremes of the other wrist movements were not in the predicted direction. Participants rated the trowels similarly for comfort and ease of use. Participants were evenly divided on personal preference for the two trowels. CONCLUSION. Occupational therapists should be cautious when recommending a gardening trowel based on it being labeled ergonomic, as it may not produce better wrist positioning than a non-ergonomically labeled trowel. Fitting a person with the right trowel involves an assessment of tool-influenced wrist positioning as well as individual perceptions of comfort and ease of tool use.