Human Factors & Ergonomics Program

Comparison of lift use, perceptions, and musculoskeletal symptoms between ceiling lifts and floor-based lifts in patient handling

Soo-Jeong Lee, RN, PhD, ANP
David Rempel, MD, MPH
2019

Lifting equipment can reduce the risk of injury from patient handling, but limited availability and adoption have been a persistent problem. Data from statewide surveys of California nurses (N = 389) in 2013 and 2016 were analyzed to evaluate lift use, perceptions about lifts and injury risk, and musculoskeletal symptoms by type of available lifts. Nurses with ceiling lifts (23%) were significantly more likely to use lifts and had more positive perceptions about lifts, regarding worker safety, patient safety and comfort, ease of use, access, and storing, than nurses with only floor...

Comparison of the observer, single-frame video and computer vision hand activity levels

Robert Radwin
Yu Hen Hu
Oguz Akkas
Stephen Bao
Carisa Harris, PhD, CPE
Jia-Hua Lin
Alysah R Meyers
David Rempel
2022

Observer, manual single-frame video, and automated computer vision measures of the Hand Activity Level (HAL) were compared. HAL can be measured three ways: (1) observer rating (HALO), (2) calculated from single-frame multimedia video task analysis for measuring frequency (F) and duty cycle (D) (HALF), or (3) from automated computer vision (HALC). This study analysed videos collected from three prospective cohort studies to ascertain HALO, HALF, and HAL...

Towards harmonisation of case definitions for eight work-related musculoskeletal disorders - an international multi-disciplinary Delphi study

Sietske J. Tamminga
P. Paul F. M. Kuijer
Kathryn Badarin
Jose Hernán Alfonso
Joana Amaro
Stefania Curti
Irina Guseva Canu
Stefano Mattioli
Ingrid S. Mehlum
David Rempel, MD, MPH
Yves Roquelaure
Steven Visser
Henk F. van der Molen
2021

N/A

Occupational risk factors for work disability following carpal tunnel syndrome: a pooled prospective study

Carisa Harris-Adamson
Ellen A Eisen
Jay Kapellusch
Kurt T Hegmann
Matthew S Thiese
Ann-Marie Dale
Bradley Evanoff
Alysha Rose Meyers
Stephen Bao
Fred Gerr
Dr. Niklas Krause, MD, MPH, PhD
David Rempel
2022

Although recent studies have identified important risk factors associated with incident carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS), risk factors associated with its severity have not been well explored.

Postural strategies among office workers during a prolonged sitting bout

Federico Arippa
Athena Nguyen
Massimiliano Pau
Carisa Harris-Adamson
2022

Sedentary behavior has increased steadily over prior decades, primarily due to increased computer use at work and at home. The total sedentary time per day has been associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases; increased sitting time at work has been associated with musculoskeletal discomfort particularly in the low back. Office workers spend many hours sitting, thus efforts to increase movement through changes of posture (sit to stand) or moving while sitting have been proposed as ways to mitigate the negative effects of prolonged sitting. Yet, few studies have...

Heavy Load Carrying and Symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse among Women in Tanzania and Nepal: An Exploratory Study

Aybüke Koyuncu
Jillian L Kadota
Agatha Mnyippembe
Prosper F Njau
Tula Ram Sijali
Sandra I McCoy
Michael N Bates
Carisa Harris-Adamson
Ndola Prata
2021

Heavy load carrying of water, firewood, and sand/stones is a ubiquitous activity for women living in developing countries. Although the intra-abdominal pressure associated with heavy load carrying is hypothesized to increase the risk of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) among women, relevant epidemiologic data are lacking. We conducted a comparative study involving two exploratory cross-sectional studies among convenience samples of women carrying heavy loads, with different characteristics: (1) as part of their activities for daily living, in Shinyanga region, Tanzania; and (2) working as...

A data-driven approach to understand factors contributing to exoskeleton use-intention in construction

Kim S
Moore A
Ojelade A
Gutierrez N
Carisa Harris-Adamson
Alan Barr, MS
Srinivasan D
Nussbaum MA
2023

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) remain an important heath concern for construction workers. Occupational exoskeletons (EXOs) are a new ergonomic intervention to control WMSD risk, yet their adoption has been low in construction. We explored contributing factors to EXO use-intention, by building a decision tree to predict the intention to try an exoskeleton using responses to an online survey. Variable selection and hyperparameter tuning were used respectively to reduce the number of potential predictors, and for a better prediction performance. Performance was assessed...

Perceived benefits, barriers, perceptions, and readiness to use exoskeletons in the construction industry: Differences by demographic characteristics

Nancy Gutierrez
Aanuoluwapo Ojelade
Sunwook Kim
Alan Barr, MS
Abiola Akanmu
Maury A. Nussbaum
Carisa Harris-Adamson
2024
Exoskeletons (EXOs) are a promising wearable intervention to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorder risks among construction workers. However, the adoption of EXOs may differ with demographic characteristics. Survey data (n = 361) were collected from construction industry stakeholders and a summation score method was used to summarize respondent's benefits and barriers to EXO use, along...

Human Factors and Ergonomics Program (UCB / UCSF)

The HFE program provides specialized training in an HFE-related discipline like Environmental Health Sciences or Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Bioengineering), and trains tomorrow’s experts in exposure assessment and human-centered design to optimize performance and health.

Impact of Seat Material on Comfort, Preference and Performance During Computer-Based Tasks over a Prolonged Bout of Sitting

Melissa Afterman, MS-HFE, CPE
Frederick Houghton
Meg Honan, MS, CPE, PT
Alan Barr, MS
2022

Prolonged sitting time is associated with negative health outcomes, including physical discomfort. Chair design affects seat posture, micro-movement, and pressure distribution, which impacts the user experience. This study investigated the impact of mesh versus foam material, on comfort, preference, and subjective performance. Two chairs were used over a three-hour bout of sitting on two different days. Analysis showed no significant difference in pain, comfort, discomfort, or fatigue between chairs, but pain increased in both chairs during the last hour of sitting. The foam chair...