Journal of Human Ergology
Online ISSN : 1884-3964
Print ISSN : 0300-8134
ISSN-L : 0300-8134
Search
Advanced search
OR
Browse
Search
Volume 42, Issue 1_2
Displaying 1-9 of 9 articles from this issue
Show all abstracts
    • |<
    • <
    • 1
    • >
    • >|
Originals
  • PREVALENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG GROUNDNUT FARMERS OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA
    BANIBRATA DAS, TIRTHANKAR GHOSH, SOMNATH GANGOPADHYAY
    2013 Volume 42 Issue 1_2 Pages 1-12
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: July 15, 2015
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11183/jhe.42.1
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    The main aim of the study was to determine the nature and extent of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and physiological and thermal working stress among the groundnut farmers. In the present investigation, eighty-five groundnut farmers were recruited from the villages of Tarakeswar of West Bengal, India. Eighty-five control office workers were also selected as a control group. The modified Nordic questionnaire and a posture analysis using the OWAS method were applied in the case of groundnut farmers. The working environment and physiological stress of the groundnut cultivators were also assessed. The analysis of working posture indicated that most of the groundnut cultivation activities needed corrective measures as soon as possible. Most of the groundnut farmers suffered from discomfort at different parts of the body, especially at the lower back (99%), knee (92%), ankle (66%), shoulder (61%) and hand (60%) regions. This study also showed that groundnut farmers suffered from excessive thermal (33.4°C) and physiological stress (heart rate rose up to 121.5 beats/min, systolic and diastolic blood pressure up to 132 and 80 mm/Hg, respectively, PEFR values are 403 lit/min) which affects their health. From the observation and analysis of the results, it was concluded that the health of the groundnut farmers was highly affected by improper body postures and workload. Twisting, bending, and awkward postures during work could lead to musculoskeletal disorders among them.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (337K)
  • EFFECT OF ELBOW FLECTION ON GRIP STRENGTH IN VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONS
    ABID ALI KHAN, ZAMIRULLAH KHAN, MOHAMMAD MUKARRAM
    2013 Volume 42 Issue 1_2 Pages 13-22
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: July 15, 2015
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11183/jhe.42.13
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    In this study the effect of elbow flexion with forward flexion of the upper arm and shoulder rotation on the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of grip strength was investigated. Two directions (vertical and horizontal), three positions (left side, central and right) and five elbow flexion angles were taken as independent variables. The analysis of variances (ANOVA) was performed on the data collected. The results of the analysis showed that there was highly significant effect of the direction, front position of the wrist (the line in front of the right shoulder, centre of the chest and left shoulder using the right hand in the sagittal plane), and the elbow flexion angle on MVC grip strength. The left position has significantly low grip strength compared to the right position for right-hand participants. The two-way interactions of all the three main factors were found significant. The three-way interaction was not found significant. Further one-way ANOVAs showed that the effect of the direction (vertical/horizontal) was not found significant on any of the levels of the position and elbow flexion in the simple main effects analysis (p>0.05).
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (325K)
  • THE USEFULNESS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE TO EVALUATE DAILY LIVING PERFORMANCE IN PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENTS: RESULTS OF CROSS-SECTIONAL AND FOLLOW-UP STUDIES
    TARO OKAMURA, AKIKO TAKESHITA, YOKO AIDA, JUNICHI KINO
    2013 Volume 42 Issue 1_2 Pages 23-30
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: July 15, 2015
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11183/jhe.42.23
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    The purpose of this research was to study the usefulness of daily living performance scores (DLPS) in order to indicate the capabilities of inpatients at psychiatric hospitals in performing activities of daily living (ADL). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 44 subjects who were inpatients at psychiatric hospitals in Japan and who responded to a questionnaire about daily living performance. A follow-up survey was conducted 9 months later on 43 patients. These patients were targeted for a study on the relationship between items relating to adverse ambulatory events and DLPS. The results showed a strong correlation between DLPS. From the follow-up survey, the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each event experience that produced a 1-point increase in the DLPS were obtained by gender and age-adjusted multiple logistic analysis. The results were as follows: “falling” OR =0.89, CI (0.805 - 0.977), “stumbling” OR =0.84, CI (0.733 -0.977), “indoor ambulatory anxiety” OR = 0.87, CI (0.795 - 0.996), “outdoor ambulatory anxiety” (OR = 0.88, CI (0.795 - 0.996), “injury due to falling” OR = 0.89, CI (0.798 - 0.984) (p < 0.05). The results confirm that DLPS are useful in predicting adverse ambulatory events experienced by patients in psychiatric hospitals.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (213K)
  • VERIFICATION REGARDING CHANGING CONSTRUCTION IN ACCUMULATION OF FAT FOR BMI BASED ON CHANGE WITH AGE ESTIMATED FROM BODY COMPOSITION BALANCE
    KATSUNORI FUJII, NOZOMI TANAKA, TAKAAKI MISHIMA
    2013 Volume 42 Issue 1_2 Pages 31-44
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: July 15, 2015
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11183/jhe.42.31
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    In the present study, a regression analysis of BMI and body fat percentage in each school year was performed with cross-sectional data in school-aged children. The qualitative changes in physique during the school-age years were examined by showing the changes in the level of body fat accumulation with age. The subjects were 789 boys and girls (469 boys, 320 girls) aged 7 to 14 years who participated in regular sports activities. Height, weight and body fat percentage were measured. Fat free mass was calculated by subtracting fat mass from body weight. BMI was calculated as body weight (kg) divided by the square of height (m). Regression analysis was conducted for fat percentage against BMI in boys and girls of all school years, and the level of body fat accumulation was considered, the distributions of the frequency of age change were examined. As a result, in the frequency distribution charts there was a shift from excessive fat to low fat from age 7 to 14 years. A χ2 test was then performed for these frequency distribution charts, and the results showed a significant difference in the frequency distribution in each year (P<0.01). This trend was clearly in boys, and meaning was found in clarifying the changes with age in the body composition balance in boys and girls.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (3639K)
  • EVALUATION OF PARTICIPATORY TRAINING IN MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH FOR SUPERVISORY EMPLOYEES IN THE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY
    TORU YOSHIKAWA, AYUMI OGAMI, TAKASHI MUTO
    2013 Volume 42 Issue 1_2 Pages 45-54
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: July 15, 2015
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11183/jhe.42.45
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    Industry-specific primary prevention measures for promoting mental health of workers were undertaken in 2008 and 2009 as a result of participatory training involving 130 supervisory employees in workplaces of the financial industry. These measures included the following five points suggested to be effective in the industry: 1) proper opportunities for training and career building, 2) control of work time and improving work organization, 3) standardization of tasks, 4) job rotation for sharing work responsibilities, and 5) increasing communication and mutual support. A post-training follow-up survey revealed that participatory, action-oriented training facilitated sharing of feasible measures and mutual support, leading to the development of measures easily introduced and established at each workplace. We concluded that mutually supportive group work of teams composed of members who held similar duty positions and were engaged in similar operations, using the Mental Health Action Checklist as a guiding tool, was effective for realizing implementation of optimally practical and specific measures.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (402K)
Communications
  • PREDICTION OF MAXIMUM OXYGEN UPTAKE BY USING THE HEART RATE RATIO METHOD IN INDIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
    AMIT BANDYOPADHYAY
    2013 Volume 42 Issue 1_2 Pages 55-63
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: July 15, 2015
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11183/jhe.42.55
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    Sedentary male (n=94) and female (n=111) university students were randomly sampled to enumerate the prediction methods for estimating maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) by the heart rate ratio method (HRpeak &buli; HRrest-1 or HRmax &buli; HRrest-1). VO2max was directly measured by incremental bicycle exercise whereas equations of Uth et al. (2004) were used for indirect prediction of VO2max. The difference between directly measured VO2max (males: 38.95±3.81 ml &buli; kg-1 &buli; min-1; females: 35.90±3.46 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1) and predicted VO2max or PVO2max (males: 38.87±1.15 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1; females: 36.24±1.94 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1) from HRpeak&buli;HRrest-1 or estimated VO2max or E VO2max (males: 37.72±2.55 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1; females: 37.20±1.50 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1) from HRmax&buli;HRrest-1 was statistically insignificant. Correlation between VO2max with P VO2max (r=0.87 in males and r=0.58 in females) and E VO2max (r=0.83 in males and r=0.79 in females) was significant (p<0.001). Regression analysis revealed standard errors of estimate of VO2max when predicted from HRpeak&buli;HRrest-1 and HRmax&buli;HRrest-1 were 1.87 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1 and 2.14 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1, respectively, in males and 2.09 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1 and 2.83 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1, respectively, in females. The results by applying these norms in the confirmatory group were in good agreement with insignificant difference of VO2max (males: 38.84±3.83 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1; females: 34.23±3.70 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1) from P VO2max (males: 38.99±3.68 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1; females: 34.47±3.55 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1) or from EVO2max (males: 38.39±3.66 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1; females: 33.87±3.52 ml&buli;kg-1&buli;min-1). Based on the present observation, the heart rate ratio method is recommended for predicting VO2max in Indian university students.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (310K)
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 48TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE HUMAN ERGOLOGY SOCIETY
    • |<
    • <
    • 1
    • >
    • >|
feedback
 Top