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Trunk and Upper Arm Postures in Mature vs. Young Workers of the Logistic Industry. A Real-World Study Based on Inertial Wearable Sensors
DescriptionWorkers engaged in order-picking tasks typical of the logistic industry, continuously perform tasks like grasping, lifting, lowering, sorting, pushing and pulling, which involve repeated trunk flexion and upper arms (UAs) inclination, thus increasing the risk of development of musculoskeletal disorders. In mature workers (i.e., those aged over 55 years) such risk is increased due to the physiological decline and to higher degree of cumulative physical strain associated with longer periods of service.

Based on these considerations, the present study investigated the existence of possible differences in terms of trunk and UAs posture in a sample of 33 young (n=16, mean age 36.5) and mature (n=17, mean age 58.0) workers employed in order-picking activity. Data was collected across 2-hours of a regular work-shift, using a setup composed by three wearable inertial sensors of which one located in the low back and two placed on the UA, laterally, at the deltoid insertion.

Raw data provided by the 3 IMU was processed to obtain trunk flexion-extension and lateral bending, as well as UA elevation. The results, show that significant differences exist in terms of percentage of time spent in non-neutral postures, particularly as regards trunk flexion >60° (mature 3.4%, young 7.1%, p=0.005) and UA elevation >60° (mature 12.5%, young 18.8%, p = 0.001). Such findings suggest that mature workers may adopt specific movement strategy to cope with their greater vulnerability to potentially harmful working conditions and compensate for declining physical work capacity in terms of increased joint stiffness and reduced muscular strength.
Event Type
Late Breaking Results
TimeTuesday, September 10th3:40pm - 3:50pm MST
LocationFLW Salon I