Ratings of Hand Activity and Force Levels among Women and Men Who Perform Identical Hand-Intensive Work Tasks

Dahlgren, GunillaUmeå universitet,Avdelningen för hållbar hälsa,Umeå Univ, Dept Publ Hlth & Clin Med, Sect Sustainable Hlth, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden. (författare)

QC 20230127
We compared hand activity and force ratings in women and men doing identical hand-intensive work tasks. Musculoskeletal disorders are more common in women and hand-intensive work leads to an increased risk of these disorders. Knowledge of the gender influence in the rating of work exposure is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate whether women and men performing identical hand-intensive work tasks were equally rated using hand activity and normalized peak force levels with the Hand Activity Threshold Limit Value((R)). Fifty-six workers participated, comprising 28 women-men pairs. Four observers-two woman-man pairs-were also involved. Self-ratings and observers' ratings of hand activity and force level were collected. The results of these ratings showed no significant gender differences in self-rated hand activity and force, as well as observer-rated hand activity. However, there was a significant gender difference in the observer-rated force, where the women were rated higher (mean (SD): women 3.9 (2.7), men 3.1 (1.8) (p = 0.01)). This difference remained significant in the adjusted model (p = 0.04) with grip strength and forearm-finger anthropometrics. The results provide new insights that observers' estimates of force can be higher in women compared with men in the same work tasks. Force should be further investigated and preferably compared to objective measurements.

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP Hälsovetenskap Arbetsmedicin och miljömedicin hsv//swe
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES Health Sciences Occupational Health and Environmental Health hsv//eng
gender differences
equity
repetitive strain injury
cumulative trauma disorders
upper extremity
ergonomic assessment
workload
exposure assessment
observation
psychophysics

Liv, Per,1979-Umeå universitet,Institutionen för epidemiologi och global hälsa,Avdelningen för hållbar hälsa,Umeå Univ, Dept Publ Hlth & Clin Med, Sect Sustainable Hlth, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.(Swepub:umu)perliv00 (författare)
Öhberg, Fredrik,1969-Umeå universitet,Radiofysik,Umeå Univ, Dept Radiat Sci, Radiat Phys, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.(Swepub:umu)froh0003 (författare)
Slunga-Järvholm, LisbethUmeå universitet,Avdelningen för hållbar hälsa,Umeå Univ, Dept Publ Hlth & Clin Med, Sect Sustainable Hlth, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.(Swepub:umu)lisl0003 (författare)
Forsman, Mikael,ProfessorKarolinska Institutet,KTH,Ergonomi,Karolinska Inst, IMM Inst Environm Med, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.,IMM Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Ergonomics, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Hälsovägen 11C, Huddinge, Sweden(Swepub:kth)u1iq0ct2 (författare)
Rehn, Börje,1967-Umeå universitet,Avdelningen för fysioterapi,Umeå Univ, Dept Community Med & Rehabil, Physiotherapy, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.(Swepub:umu)bore0002 (författare)
Umeå universitetAvdelningen för hållbar hälsa (creator_code:org_t)

Ingår i:International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: MDPI AG19:24, s. 16706-1661-78271660-4601

Av författaren/redakt...: Dahlgren, Gunill ...; Liv, Per, 1979-; Öhberg, Fredrik, ...; Slunga-Järvholm, ...; Forsman, Mikael, ...; Rehn, Börje, 196 ...

Om ämnet

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP: MEDICIN OCH HÄLS ...; och Hälsovetenskap; och Arbetsmedicin oc ...

Av lärosätet: Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan; Umeå universitet; Karolinska Institutet

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