The aim of this study was to identify effective work place intervention strategies for the prevention of low back pain (LBP). The study focused on interventions to two major groups: personal interventions and technical interventions. Data basis were searched for with inclusion criteria: study design based on randomised controlled trial; outcome measures including non-specific LBP occurrence expressed by prevalence or intensity; intervention met the definition of the technical and/or personal (physical exercises, behavioural training, educational) intervention programme. Eighteen papers were selected for full analysis. The diversification of quantitative indicators of differences between control and intervention groups were carried out using Cohen’s d index. The results of analysis showed strong differences in effects among intervention strategies, as well as among different cases within similar intervention strategies. LBP severity before intervention and the length of intervention were discussed as potentially influencing factors. The results of the analysis suggest that the most effective strategies for LBP prevention include technical modifications of the workstand and education based on practical training. Behavioural and physical training seems to be of lesser importance. LBP severity before intervention and the time when the measurements of outcome measures take place play an important role in the effectiveness of intervention.

The aim of this study was to assess handgrip and 5 other types of force in 52 women and to determine if handgrip force reflected general upper limb force capabilities correlated with age. The women were divided into subgroups according to age: 20-25, 45-50 and 55-65 years. Maximum forces of the right upper limb were measured in 6 types of force activities. In most tests the values of force showed statistically significant differences between the 20-25 group and the groups aged 45-50 and 55-64 years. The results did not show any differences related to age or to force activities that involved the small muscles of the forearms and hands. Thus handgrip force cannot always be considered an indicator of total force capabilities.

The purpose of the study was to analyse the influence of the precision of a task on tension and fatigue of the trapezius and deltoid muscles. Ten young men took part in experiments. Different levels of force and different frequencies of pressing a button defined the precision of the task. Surface electromyography (EMG) was used. Muscle tension and fatigue were reflected by 2 parameters of the EMG signal: the Root Mean Square amplitude related to the maximum value and changes in the Median Power Frequency. The results showed that hand activities influence the descending part of the trapezius muscle and do not influence the deltoid muscle, and that the precision of work can influence the examined muscles of the arm and shoulder even during work in which only the hand is involved in a performed task. electromyography muscle fatigue precision work hand activities

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate working conditions with a notebook computer (notebook) asnotebook computer working conditions organization of work

As the lumbar region of the spine is particularly predisposed to musculoskeletal disordersfinite element model muscle co-operation spine load lumbar spine

Noise in the office work environment can negatively affect workers' cognitive performance, number of errors made and comfort. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of various types of acoustic conditions in the mental work environment on visual perception (eye-tracking parameters) and workload. Method: In the experiment a group of 39 people aged 20 to 34 was asked to perform two eye-tracking tests (Perceptiveness and Speed Tests (PTs) and to read the text of a fictional biography, and then to answer questions about the reading). Mental workload was evaluated in each condition using NASA TLX questionnaire. The tests were performed in various acoustic conditions: variant W1 – no presentation of acoustic stimuli, variant W2 – sounds of office equipment, variant W3 – sounds of office equipment with quiet conversation in native language, variant W4 – sounds of office equipment with loud conversation in native language, variant W5 – filtered pink noise. In variants from W2 to W5 the equivalent sound level A was 55 dB. Results: The assessment of work efficiency in the reading test indicates the existence of statistically significant differences. The most errors were made during mental work with the audible sounds of office equipment with a loud conversation (Variant W4) and during mental work performed with audible filtered pink noise (W5). While reading the text, different acoustic conditions do not differentiate statistically significantly visual perception described by eye-tracking parameters. In turn, in the PTs test, statistically significant differences between the variants were found in the Digit test (average blink duration) and the Fraction test (average blink duration, average fixation duration and saccades frequency parameters). In conclusion, visual perception depends on the type of noise. Acoustic factors aggect workers' cognitive functions, mostly in more difficult tasks.

PurposeRunning is becoming an increasingly more popular form of leisure activity. However, intense physical activity, such as running a marathon, can put a significant strain on the body and lead to the use of painkillers to reduce or avoid pain. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to determine the percentage of participants in the Poznań Marathon taking analgesics before or during the run and to investigate the runners’ knowledge about the possible negative health effects of such behaviour.MethodsThe study was carried out in 3 consecutive years (2014–2016) among 308 runners participating in the Poznań Marathon. The respondents completed a survey consisting of 3 parts: (1) personal details, (2) use of analgesics before and/or during the marathon run, and (3) the runner’s awareness of the possible negative effects of using such medicines during increased physical activity.ResultsTaking analgesics before or during a marathon run was declared by 18.6%, 14.9%, and 16.8% of the participants in years 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively. Compared with men, women used painkillers more frequently (22.3% vs. 16.1%). On average, 59.3% of runners believed that using analgesics might be harmful to their health and increase the risk of injury, but 39.8% of them took painkillers anyway.ConclusionsNearly every sixth participant of the Poznań Marathon used analgesics before or during running because of the pain they experienced or expected. The awareness of analgesic-related side effects did not stop the runners from using painkillers.

The goal of the study was to check, with regard to ergonomics, workstations equipped with visual display terminals in selected enterprises. Over 180 workstations were tested in 3 enterprises. Most workstations were equipped with computers. The ergonomics of both the parameters of the basic components of the workstation (i.e., a chair and a desk, and the position of the computer at the workstation and its screen with respect to windows) and lighting fittings were analysed. Typical mistakes in the layout of a workstation were chairs inappropriate for computer work, as well as broken chair adjustment mechanisms, which qualified chairs for repair or replacement. Wrong positioning of monitors on the desk and with regard to windows and lighting fittings was also noted.