Leppe M1, Mauri Stecca MV1
1Universsidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
Background: Assessment of static body posture is an important health indicator. For instance, a valid examination tool could make a difference in the health status of a child, during pregnancy or in elderlies. However, static postural assessment performed in workers is achieved by ergonomic methods without considering the clinical evaluation of the worker´s body posture.
Purpose: To explore what are the static postural assessment instruments described by the scientific and grey literature. Knowing different methods of static postural assessment is the first step to identify which instrument can be useful within the context of occupational health and ergonomics, toward preventing musculoskeletal disorders related to work.
Methods: Based on the methodology proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute, a search strategy was created. MEDLINE/Pubmed and Scielo databases were used for the search and identification for all potentially relevant types of study published until December 2017. Studies published in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish were included. Bibliometric and other specific variables were considered when extracting and analyzing data from selected articles. Two independent reviewers identified and selected relevant articles following specific inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Results: Ninety-three out of 557 potentially relevant articles were selected for further analysis. 78% of the studies were performed and published in Brazil. The sample number of participants included in the studies ranged from 1 to 534, and aged from 5 to 86 years. 88% of the study objectives were clinical and looked for a relationship between musculoskeletal pain and posture; 6% were literature reviews, and 7% corresponded to postural assessment ergonomic methodologies (12% of the studies aimed to assess postural overload). Postural assessment tools included:
(1) Clinical observation,
(2) Clinical observation with checklist,
(3) Clinical observation with complementary elements,
(5) Goniometers,
(6) Flexicurve,
(7) Arcometer,
(8) Inclinometer,
(9) Postural Reference Framework (MRP),
(10) Self report,
(11) Photogrammetry,
(12) Photogrammetry with software analysis,
(13) radiographs,
(14) ergonomic examination methods for postural overload, and
(15) Stereophotogrammetric system.
The use of photographs with software analysis is the most used for the static postural evaluation that presents more evidence in its use (43%)
Conclusion(s): In this study we found that the evaluation with photogrammetry with software analysis is the most used by researchers (43%) followed by clinical evaluation with 25%. The study of static body posture is related to the search for effectiveness of specific treatments of body segments, pain and postural habits. Only 3 studies use photogrammetry with software analysis for the working population.
Implications: The use of photograph, combined with a software analysis, results in an easy tool to use and register in the clinical setting. Future research should study the association between posture and musculoskeletal disorders related to work and as a predictor of occupational diseases.
Keywords: Static postural, instruments, occupational health
Funding acknowledgements: Not funding or grants involved
Purpose: To explore what are the static postural assessment instruments described by the scientific and grey literature. Knowing different methods of static postural assessment is the first step to identify which instrument can be useful within the context of occupational health and ergonomics, toward preventing musculoskeletal disorders related to work.
Methods: Based on the methodology proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute, a search strategy was created. MEDLINE/Pubmed and Scielo databases were used for the search and identification for all potentially relevant types of study published until December 2017. Studies published in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish were included. Bibliometric and other specific variables were considered when extracting and analyzing data from selected articles. Two independent reviewers identified and selected relevant articles following specific inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Results: Ninety-three out of 557 potentially relevant articles were selected for further analysis. 78% of the studies were performed and published in Brazil. The sample number of participants included in the studies ranged from 1 to 534, and aged from 5 to 86 years. 88% of the study objectives were clinical and looked for a relationship between musculoskeletal pain and posture; 6% were literature reviews, and 7% corresponded to postural assessment ergonomic methodologies (12% of the studies aimed to assess postural overload). Postural assessment tools included:
(1) Clinical observation,
(2) Clinical observation with checklist,
(3) Clinical observation with complementary elements,
(5) Goniometers,
(6) Flexicurve,
(7) Arcometer,
(8) Inclinometer,
(9) Postural Reference Framework (MRP),
(10) Self report,
(11) Photogrammetry,
(12) Photogrammetry with software analysis,
(13) radiographs,
(14) ergonomic examination methods for postural overload, and
(15) Stereophotogrammetric system.
The use of photographs with software analysis is the most used for the static postural evaluation that presents more evidence in its use (43%)
Conclusion(s): In this study we found that the evaluation with photogrammetry with software analysis is the most used by researchers (43%) followed by clinical evaluation with 25%. The study of static body posture is related to the search for effectiveness of specific treatments of body segments, pain and postural habits. Only 3 studies use photogrammetry with software analysis for the working population.
Implications: The use of photograph, combined with a software analysis, results in an easy tool to use and register in the clinical setting. Future research should study the association between posture and musculoskeletal disorders related to work and as a predictor of occupational diseases.
Keywords: Static postural, instruments, occupational health
Funding acknowledgements: Not funding or grants involved
Topic: Occupational health & ergonomics; Musculoskeletal
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: Universidad del Desarrollo.
Ethics committee: dont apply
Reason not required: This is an investigation carried out with existing data and without interaction with human beings (literature review)
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
