The Reluctance of Taxi Drivers to Use Seat Belts. Observed and Self-Reported Behavior in Argentina / La reticencia al uso del cinturón de seguridad de los conductores de taxi. Conductas observadas y auto-informadas en Argentina / Relutância em usar cinto de segurança em taxistas. Comportamentos observados e autorrelatados na Argentina

Although taxi drivers are more exposed to traffic crashes, they usually exhibit riskier behaviors and more negative attitudes toward road safety. For example, previous research suggests that they are particularly reluctant to wear seat belts. The research aimed (a) to estimate the prevalence of seat belt use among taxi drivers com-pared to other professional and non-professional drivers (Study 1, n = 3.810) and (b) to explore attitudes toward seat belt use in taxi drivers using the Theory of Planned Behavior (tpb) (Study 2, n = 100). Study 1 showed lower seat belt use among taxi drivers (vs. other professional and non-professional drivers). Study 2 showed that self-reported use tends to be higher than the estimated observed use and that negative experiential attitudes appear to be essential for understanding the reluctance of taxi drivers to use seat belts. Practical implications and future lines of research are discussed.

Aunque los taxistas están más expuestos a los siniestros viales, suelen mostrar comportamientos más arriesgados y actitudes más negativas hacia la seguridad vial. Por ejemplo, investigaciones previas sugieren que son especialmente reacios a usar el cinturón de seguridad. En tal sentido, los objetivos de la presente investigación fueron (a) estimar la prevalencia del uso del cinturón de seguridad entre los taxistas en comparación con otros conductores profesionales y no profesionales (Estudio 1, n = 3.810) y (b) explorar las actitudes hacia el uso del cinturón de seguridad en los taxistas utilizando la Teoría del Comportamiento Planificado (tpb) (Estudio 2, n = 100). El estudio 1 mostró un menor uso del cinturón de seguridad entre los taxistas (frente a otros conductores profesionales y no profesionales). El estudio 2 demostró que el uso auto informado tiende a ser mayor que el uso observado estimado, y que las actitudes negativas por la experiencia parecen ser esenciales para entender la reticencia de los taxistas a utilizar el cinturón de seguridad. Se discuten las implicaciones prácticas y las futuras líneas de investigación.

Embora os taxistas estejam mais expostos a acidentes rodoviários, tendem a exibir comportamentos mais arriscados e atitudes mais negativas em relação à segu-rança rodoviária. Por exemplo, investigações anteriores sugerem que estão particularmente relutantes em usar o cinto de segurança. Os objectivos do presente estu-do foram: (a) estimar a prevalência do uso do cinto de segurança entre taxistas em comparação com outros taxistas profissionais e não profissionais (Estudo 1, n = 3.810), e (b) explorar atitudes em relação ao uso do cinto de segurança entre taxistas utilizando a Teoria do Comportamento Planeado (tpb) (Estudo 2, n = 100). O estudo 1 mostrou um menor uso do cinto de segurança entre os taxistas (em comparação com outros motoristas profissionais e não profissionais). O estudo 2 mostrou que o uso auto-relatado tende a ser superior ao uso observado estimado, e que as atitudesexperimentais negativas parecem ser centrais para compreender a relutância dos taxistas em usar cintos de segurança. São discutidas implicações práticas e linhas futuras de investigação.

Preliminary Study On The Ergonomic Design Of Motorcycle Seat For Comfort Usage

@#Motorcycle seats undeniably provides good comfort to motorcyclists but there are some that offers less affirmation on ushering comfort, whilst some even results in harm to users, resulting in back pains, neck, shoulders, and other parts of the body over prolonged riding periods. This research aims to investigate the discomforts faced by motorcyclist and the best seat concept based on an ergonomic design, fit for the masses through a subjective evaluation. A study that includes a survey was conducted to study the subjective assessment against the motorcycle seat comfort. The study is divided into two parts, where in part 1, the anthropometric data were collected from a total of 100 respondents, representing 88 males and 12 females. Mean from the anthropometric data was used for two new seat redesigns, designated Seat A and Seat B. For part 2, sets of questionnaire were distributed to 130 respondents to measure their perception of seat design A and design B. Based on the results produced, 86.2% respondents suffered discomforts while riding a motorcycle. Most suffered discomforts at particular body areas: lower back, buttock and shoulder, while no discomfort reported around leg, feet and thigh. Results also proved that current seat designs needed an improvement with a majority of respondents opting an added backrest and to increase surface around buttock area. Based on the evaluation of designs, Seat B was selected as a better option as compared to seat A in terms of comfort usage.

Design Automotive Driver Seat Ergonomically For Malaysian Anthropometry Measurement

Aesthetic value of the automotive car seat has been one of the selling points of each car besidesproviding functions such as being safe, supportive as well provides comfort to the occupants. Othercriteria considered besides the aesthetic element are cushion foam and self-adjustment factor.Ergonomics is not a new issue because most of the existing seat design today have already practiced it.Existing car seat manufacturers have considered anthropometry data. The average upon 95th percentile ofhuman measurement had been deliberated. However, issues such as time spent driving and seat designissue have arisen upon the search of comfort and rising of musculoskeletal disease such as back pain. As asolution, this study would propose an automotive car seat design of ergonomic evolution, which wouldcreate comfort by manipulating the seat cushion foams. The proposed seat cushion foam would be use toreplace the existing polymers with beanbag foam. This is inspire by the nature of beanbag, fitting up andproviding comfort to the occupants of various body sizes and shapes. Malaysian anthropometrymeasurements are required for design of car seat, which later compared with the existing seats ofcommercial vehicle. The literature review showed the pressure mapping technique of respondent seatingon the existing car seat. The most sensitive compartments where discomfort are experienced studied andplaced with sachets filed with beanbag beads. This experiment conducted many times over a fewrespondents by using the pressure mat to find out, if there are any changes in terms of comfort. Thisdesign of new car seat with a manipulation cushion foam replaced with beanbag foam could be a niche toeliminate discomfort to all range body sizes and shapes.

Ergonomic Design Optimization for Train Seat Fit Parameters

This study is aimed at seat design optimization for high-speed train based on the Malaysians sitting anthropometrydata focusing on seat fit parameters. An analysis of anthropometry data composed of 15 dimensions that arerequired in seat design was done with 50 male subjects. These data were collected through direct measuringmethods with standard equipment. According to the Malaysian automotive seat fit parameters, the backrest width,backrest height, cushion width, and cushion length were established based on these anthropometric dimensions:interscye breadth (5th percentile female and 95th percentile male), hip breadth (95th percentile female), sittingshoulder height (5th percentile female), and buttock-popliteal length (5th percentile female), respectively. Thisstudy uses the CATIA software to design and analyse the proposed seat design. The fit parameters proposed for thenew design are seat height, 380mm; cushion width, 450mm; backrest width, 450mm and backrest height, 850mm.The CATIA human activity analysis (based on Rapid Upper Limb Analysis, RULA) was also executed. From the study,the new conceptual seat design gives the most optimized fit when compared to the current seat.

Rapid Healing and Remodeling Process of Pediatric Seat-Belt Fracture without Surgical Treatment / 대한신경손상학회지

Pediatric seat-belt fracture is a rare condition, and its management has not been well defined. The authors report a case of pediatric Chance fracture that was managed conservatively and that demonstrated rapid bone healing. A 7-year-old boy presented with back pain after a motor vehicle accident. Plain lumbar spine radiography, three-dimensional computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a seat-belt fracture type C (classified by Rumball and Jarvis), and the patient's condition was managed conservatively. The patient started to ambulate with a brace 2 weeks after the injury. Spine CT performed 100 days after the injury revealed a remodeled fracture, and dynamic radiography did not show any evidence of instability or kyphotic deformity. We suggest that if there are no neurological deficits or severe deformities, then a pediatric seat-belt fracture should be managed conservatively, because the bone healing process is far more rapid in children than it is in adults and because of possible growth problems after surgery.

A financial forecasting exercise on the child restraints market in the Philippines

@#The use of child restraints such as car seats or booster seats inevitability increases with the implementation of laws mandating its use in the general public. This is of great importance to child health and injury prevention as child restraint use has been shown to reduce the risk of serious injury by 71% to 82% for children less than 1-year-old, and 45% for children aged 4 to 8 years old.2,3 In terms of averting death, child restraints were associated with 28% reduction in risk for death.4 It has been found that using ageand size-appropriate child restraints is the best way to save lives and reduce injuries in a crash.5 It is reasonable, therefore, that one study that investigated the association between child restraint law implementation and traffic injury rate among 4 to 6 years old children in New York State found that these children experienced an 18% reduction in traffic injury rate. (See full-text for continuation).

Use of child safety seats during transportation of newborns / 소아과

PURPOSE: Child safety seats (CSS) are critical for the protection of children, in case of motor vehicle accidents. Although the national legislation mandates that all newborns must be placed in an appropriately installed CSS during transportation, people often do not perceive the importance of CSS and do not use it as recommended. The purpose of this survey was to understand the use of CSS for the safe transport of newborns from hospital to home. METHODS: We interviewed parents of newborn infants, using a structured questionnaire, at the time of their discharge from Cheil General Hospital & Women’s Health Care Center, between May 2014 and July 2014. RESULTS: A total of 403 participants were interviewed. The rate of CSS use was only 14.9%. Overall, 76.4% of the families interviewed were not aware about the recommendations on CSS use for newborns when travelling in a car. The provision of education on using CSS significantly influenced their rate of use. Parents who were educated about mounting the CSS in a car used it more as compared with others (25.7% vs. 12.2%) (P=0.002). Furthermore, if parents had heard about the importance or necessity of CSS, they used it more than others did (19.5% vs. 10.6%, P=0.032). CONCLUSION: Despite the legal regulation, most parents transport their newborn infants without a CSS while traveling from hospital to their home. The rate of CSS use was influenced by parental education and their knowledge about its necessity. Education programs for parents must be reinforced to increase the CSS use.

Measuring Pressure Interface Of Local Car Seats Under Static And Dynamic Circumstances: A Comparative Study

@# Measuring discomfort towardthe car seat is important as the act of driving requires a driver to remain at the car seat while controlling the car. The seat condition, including sitting position as well as the driver’s posture can lead to discomfort and fatigue. The objective of this study is to investigate a driver’s pressure distribution in static and dynamic circumstances for two types of cars; the sedan and compact car. This study involved both subjective and objective evaluations of 12 respondents. For the subjective evaluation, the Visual Analog Scales (VAS) were used to obtain respondents' perception of discomfort. For the objective evaluation, pressure distribution readings of the seat interface were obtained using piezo capacitive sensors. The findings showed that the highest pressure was recorded for the compact car. Furthermore, the static circumstance showed greater pressure compared to the dynamic state. Subjective evaluation indicated that the right buttocks and the lower back (lumbar)experience the highest discomfort for both types of seats.The type of seat found to contribute to the value of different pressure. Thus, it can be concluded that appropriate seat selection can reduce pressure as well as discomfort.

Biceps Brachii Muscle Contraction During Different Driving Postures

@#This study was conducted to analyses the Biceps Brachii (BB) muscle contraction during different driving postures. Drivers’ posture is one of the factors that contribute to driving fatigue that eventually may lead to road accident and injuries. The experiment conducted for this study is using the surface electromyography (SEMG) method for objective evaluation of muscle involved in driving activities. A total of 14 participants are involved in the experiment. The experiment was done on three different posture based on comfortable angles published by previous research. From the results analysis, the RMS value for activity left turn is lower than activity for right turn for all three postures and results also shows that posture B with elbow angle of 134° is perceived as most comfortable based on the lowest value of muscle contraction with a value of 15.67μV. The outcomes from this study are hoped to benefit both manufactures and also car users in ensuring better and optimum driving postures that can avoid fatigue and injuries.

Automotive Seat Fit Parameters Based On Representative Nigerian Anthropometric Data

@#The best commonly applied approach in seating ergonomics is the concept that the seat must fit the sitter.Understanding of population anthropometry is necessary because, in the mass vehicle market, a single seat should fit a huge portion of the population. This research work proposes some automotive seat fit parameters based on a representative Nigerian anthropometric data, to ensure an optimum fit between the vehicle seats and the occupants, as well as providing adequate accommodation. Anthropometric data of 863 Nigerians captured with special emphasis on the dimensions that are applicable in automotive seat design. A comparison made between the data obtained and that of five other countries. The proposed dimensions includes: seat cushion width (475mm); seat cushion length (394mm); seat height (340mm); seat lateral location (583mm); seat back height (480mm); seat back width (427mm); armrest height (246mm); headrest height (703mm); armrest surface length (345mm); backrest width (thoracic level) (524mm); seat adjustment (186mm); backrest width (lumbar level) (475mm) and distance between armrests (475mm). A comparison made between the proposed dimensions and those recommended by four other scholars for other populations. Finally, an ergonomic automotive seat suitable for the Nigerian population was designed using AutoCAD 2016 software based on the proposed established dimensions

Evaluation of differences in injury patterns according to seat position in trauma victims survived traffic accidents / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>PURPOSE</b>Investigation of injury patterns epidemiology among car occupants may help to develop different therapeutic approach according to the seat position. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare differences in the incidence of serious injuries, between occupants in different locations in private cars.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective study including trauma patients who were involved in motor vehicle accidents and admitted alive to 20 hospitals (6 level Ⅰ trauma centers and 14 level Ⅱ trauma centers). We examined the incidence of injures with abbreviated injury score 3 and more, and compared their occurrence between seat locations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The study included 28,653 trauma patients, drivers account for 60.8% (17,417). Front passenger mortality was 0.47% higher than in drivers. Rear seat passengers were at greater risk (10.26%) for traumatic brain injuries than front seat passengers (7.48%) and drivers (7.01%). Drivers are less likely to suffer from serious abdominal injuries (3.84%) compared to the passengers (front passengers - 5.91%, rear passengers - 5.46%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Out of victims who arrived alive to the hospital, highest mortality was found in front seat passengers. The rate of serious chest injuries was higher as well. Rear seat passengers are at greater risk for serious traumatic brain injuries. All passengers have a greater incidence of abdominal injuries. These findings need to be addressed in order to develop "customized" therapeutic policy in trauma victims.</p>

Factors behind not using child restrain(t) among hospital employees and general population:A case control study / 世界急诊医学杂志（英文）

@#BACKGROUND: Motor vehicle crash (MVC) related injury has been identified as a major public health concern. Child restrain (CR) seat belts can minimize the mortality and morbidity from MVC. The use for seat belts is substantially low in developing countries like Pakistan even though its use has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality by a significant extent. METHODS: This was a case control study with cases from the general population (GP) and controls from the Aga Khan University (AKU) employees in a 3:1 ratio. The study questionnaire was based on parameters like gender, education level, awareness and presence of CR and also assessed the frequency of usage, reasons for not using CR and the source of knowledge regarding CR use. RESULTS: Out of 848 respondents, 212 were from AKU and 636 were from the GP. 96.7% from AKU had at least a bachelor's degree while less than half (42.6%) of those from the GP were graduate or above (P<0.001). A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups with drivers from AKU being generally more aware about CR and its use. 81.1% of the group from AKU compared to 59.7% from the general population were found to be aware of child restraint use (P<0.001). Media (40.6%) was found to be the most common source of information amongst the AKU employees. CONCLUSION: Most motor vehicle related injuries in children can be prevented or their severity may be reduced by the use of appropriate child restraint seat belts.

Analysis on the safety-related riding behaviors of 0-to 6-year-old children and their parents' awareness in Changning District of Shanghai / 上海预防医学

Objective To understand the safety-related riding behaviors of 0-to 6-year-old children and to analyze their parents' awareness of the safe riding thereof.Methods Self-administered questionnaires were used to make investigations on the parents of the 0-to 6-year-old children described as follows.Several 0-to 3-year-old children's parents who owned private cars and sent their children to schools/back home by cars daily were randomly selected from the planned immunization/children's health clinic of 10 community health service centers in Changning District of Shanghai,the parents of these children were surveyed.Several 4-to 6-year-old children's parents who owned private cars and sent their children to schools/back home by cars daily were randomly selected from the kindergartens therein,the parents of these children were surveyed.SPSS 17.0 was used in relevant statistical analyses.Results A total of 3 509 persons were investigated.The means of their riding in private cars were shown as follows, in order of proportion, from the highest to the lowest: using child restraint system(CRS) (44.1%), sitting in laps of adults(28.1%), sitting by themselves with seatbelts(18.0%)and sitting by themselves without seatbelts (9.8%);with the increase of age, the proportions of using CRS and sitting in laps of adults decreased and those of sitting by themselves increased.Almost 90% of child passengers were habitually rear-seated, but 1.8% thereof sat in the CRS seats installed in front and 7.2% thereof simply sat in co-pilot seats in front without any safety restraints.The overall awareness rate of the parents for the core knowledge of the CRS seats was 67.1%, only 23.8% of the respondents surveyed knew all the core knowledge.The rate of using CRS seats by parents was positively correlated with the relevant knowledge and attitudes of the parents for CRS seats(x2=357.8, P<0.001).For the parents who believed that using CRS seats is the safest way of riding, the rate of using CRS seats by their children was also the highest.Parents with higher levels of education and higher incomes tended to have higher levels of awareness.Conclusion Compared with foreign developed countries, the rate of using CRS seats by 0-to 6-year-old children is relatively low in Changning District.The rate of using CRS seats by parents is closely related to the relevant knowledge and attitudes of the parents for CRS seats.Parents have a low level of awareness and misunderstanding of safe riding.It is necessary to strengthen the publicity and education, especially for the awareness of children's safe riding for families with relatively low levels of education, thus urging parents to take more reliable children's safe riding measures so as to ensure thesafety of children's riding.

Seatbelt paths of the pregnant women sitting in the rear seat of a motor vehicle / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>PURPOSE</b>Seatbelt use during pregnancy is important to improve maternal and fetal survival after motor vehicle collisions. However, because the rear seatbelt of a motor vehicle tends to make contact with the neck, even if it is adequately used, some pregnant women sitting in the rear seat opt not to fasten the belt. The purpose of this study is to explore seatbelt-neck contact for pregnant women sitting in the rear seat of a motor vehicle.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We carried out an anthropometric study. Japanese women who were ≥30 weeks pregnant (n = 12) sat in the left side of the rear seat of a typical mid-size passenger sedan and fastened the seatbelt. Seating posture was investigated by measuring the coordinates of the anthropometric data points of the pregnant women (head, shoulder, hip joint, and knee joint). The belt path was analyzed by measuring the clearance between the belt and the sternum or navel.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 12 pregnant women at 33.9 week ± 3.3 week gestation, the shoulder belt deviated to the right side and subsequently contacted to the neck in four pregnant women (Contact group). The height of the Contact group was significantly shorter than that of Non-contact group (152.3 cm ± 3.0 cm vs. 159.0 cm ± 3.3 cm, p = 0.008). Regarding the relative position of the seatbelt to the subject's body, the distances from the top of the sternum to the center of the shoulder belt were significantly shorter in Contact group (3.9 cm ± 3.5 cm) than that in the Non-contact group (8.0 cm ± 1.6 cm, p = 0.03). However, no significant difference was found for the distance from the umbilicus to the center of the lap belt.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our findings show that because of short height and late term of pregnancy with protrusion of the abdomen, the shoulder belt deviates to the right or left, avoiding the protruded uterus, and subsequently makes contact with the neck. Seatbelt systems for rear seats need to be developed to improve passenger safety, especially for pregnant women.</p>

Traumatic Lumbar Plexopathy by Seat Belt Injury

STUDY DESIGN: A case report. OBJECTIVES: To report and discuss an extremely uncommon cause of lumbar plexopathy seat belt injury. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: For patients who undergo traffic accidents, most cases of seat belt injury cause trauma to the lower torso. Seat belt injury is associated with variable clinical problems such as vascular injury, intestinal injury (perforation), vertebral injury (flexion-distraction injury), chest wall injury, diaphragmatic rupture/hernia, bladder rupture, lumbosacral plexopathy, and other related conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 38-year-old male truck driver (traffic accident victim) who suffered monoplegia of his right leg due to lumbar plexus injury without spinal column involvement. Injury to a lumbar plexus and the internal vasculatures originated from direct compression to internal abdominal organs (the iliopsoas muscle and internal vasculatures anterior to the lumbar vertebrae) caused by the seat belt. We have illustrated an extremely uncommon cause of a neurologic deficit from a traffic accident through this case. RESULTS: Under the impression of traumatic lumbar plexopathy, we managed it conservatively, and the patient showed signs of recovery from neurologic deficit. CONCLUSIONS: We need to review the lumbar plexus pathway, in patients with atypical motor weakness and sensory loss of the lower extremities which are not unaccompanied by demonstrable spinal lesions. Therefore, close history taking, physical examination and comprehension of injury mechanism are important in the diagnosis.

Disminución de la incomodidad en el uso prolongado de sillas dinámicas. Estudio longitudinal / Decreased Discomfort in Prolonged Use of Dynamic Chairs / Diminuição da incomodidade no uso prolongado de cadeiras dinâmicas. Estudo longitudinal

El incremento de la cantidad de trabajadores de oficina ha conllevado a un aumento del tiempo que se pasa en postura sedente de manera continua; por tal razón, esta condición de trabajo ha sido investigada con el propósito de comprender las manifestaciones de dolor o incomodidad resultantes de hacer trabajos en dicha demanda postural. Objetivo: comparar los datos basales de percepción de incomodidad debida al dolor lumbar con aquellos en función del uso prolongado de la silla, en presencia (CB) o no (SB) de variaciones en la inclinación del asiento. Materiales y métodos: se incluyeron diez trabajadores de oficina; se les asignó la silla modificada o estándar para uso continuo en la jornada laboral durante ocho meses, con seguimiento mensual mediante la medición de incomodidad con la Escala análoga visual. Los datos se analizaron de manera descriptiva y mediante métodos estadísticos, según la distribución de cada conjunto de datos. Resultados: revelan diferencias significativas y una potencial ventaja de la silla CB frente a la silla SB, de acuerdo con la comparación de medias de los reportes de incomodidad en la región lumbar (p=0,04). Además, se encontró que los trabajadores que recibieron intervención ergonómica en la oficina redujeron el aumento de incomodidad en la jornada laboral y el período de seguimiento, comparado con el grupo control. Conclusiones: las variaciones en la inclinación del asiento realizadas en forma dinámica y continua durante lapsos largos (silla dinámica CB) influyen de manera positiva en la disminución de la percepción de incomodidad en trabajadores de oficina.

The increase in the amount of office workers, has led to an increase on the continuous time they expend in a sitting posture. Hence, this working situation has been investigated to understand pain or discomfort manifestations under this postural demand. Objective: to compare the basal data of discomfort perception due to back pain with those related to the extended use of chairs, when there is presence (or absence) of seat tilt variations. Materials and methods: the study involved a group of ten office workers. This subjects used a typical office chair (SB chair) or a modified one (CB chair) when they were at work. Then, there was a monthly evaluation of the discomfort using a Visual Analog Scale, during an eight months survey time. Data was descriptively analyzed using statistical methods, depending on the distribution of each data set. Results: revealed potential advantage of CB chair over the SB chair, considering the average comparison of discomfort in the lumbar region (p=0,04). In addition, workers receiving office ergonomic intervention reduced their daily discomfort during the monitored period, compared with the control group. Conclusion: dynamic and continuous variations of seat tilt during long periods of time have a positive influence in reducing the perception of discomfort in office workers.

O incremento da quantidade de trabalhadores de escritório, tem levado a um aumento do tempo que se passa em postura sedentária de maneira contínua, por este motivo, esta condição de trabalho tem sido investigada com o propósito de compreender as manifestações de dor ou incomodidade; resultado de realizar trabalhos em dita demanda postural. O objetivo do estudo foi comparar os dados basais de percepção de incomodidade devida à dor lombar com aquelas em função do uso prolongado da cadeira, em presença (CB) ou não (SB) de variações na inclinação da cadeira. Para isto, incluíram-se 10 trabalhadores de escritório, atribuindo-lhes uma cadeira modificada ou standard mensal mediante a medição de incomodidade com a Escala Análoga Visual. Os dados analisaram-se de maneira descritiva e mediante métodos estatísticos, segundo a distribuição de cada conjunto de dados. Os resultados revelaram diferenças significativas e uma potencial vantagem da cadeira CB gente à cadeira SB, tendo em conta a comparação de medias dos reportes de incomodidade na região lombar (p=0,04). Para além, se encontrou que os trabalhadores que receberam intervenção ergonómica no escritório, reduziram o aumento da incomodidade na jornada laboral e do período de seguimento, comparado com o grupo controle. Conclui-se, que as variações na inclinação da cadeira realizadas em forma dinâmica e contínua durante longos períodos de tempo (cadeira dinâmica CB), influem de forma positiva na diminuição da percepção de incomodidade em trabalhadores de escritório.

TRANSPORTING CHILDREN IN CARS AND THE USE OF CHILD SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the transport of children in automobiles and the use of child restraints systems (CRS). Methods: This is a transversal descriptive study which included 200 vehicle drivers who carried 0-10 year old children in the city of São Luis, MA, Brazil. The drivers' passengers' and children's features were properly identified. The children's transportation using CRS were analyzed according to the Resolution 277/8 of the Brazilian National Traffic Department. Results: The transportation of children was classified as inappropriate in 70.5% of the vehicles analyzed. The most common way for children transportation was free on the back seats (47%) or on the lap of passengers/drivers (17%). The main reasons to justify the improper transportation were either not understanding the importance of CRS use (64.5%) or not having financial resources to buy the devices. The child safety seat was the most used CRS (50.8 %) among vehicles with proper child transportation system. Conclusion: The transportation of children was inappropriate in most of the vehicles analyzed, reflecting the need for creating awareness among automobile drivers, including education, supervision and improvement of policies for health improvement and prevention of accidents involving children transportation. Level of Evidence III, Cross Sectional Study.

A study on user’s comfort level and seat mismatch in a lecture theatre

The furnishings provided by the Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) are not suitable with the diverse student’s body shapes. This could leads to lack of comfort in usage of the furnishings as well as affecting the effectiveness of the delivery of the lectures. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to evaluate the student’s comfort level in the current seat of the Lecture Theatre (LT) and to gather student’s anthropometry data. Two hundred and twenty one students were involved in this study from one of the IHL in Selangor. A few similar design of LT were chosen for this study. The Standard Nordic Questionnaire was used to identify the comfort level of students. Eleven body parts measurements of all participated students were collected by using measurement apparatus such as callipers and ruler. Based on the findings, it showed that the current seat in LT is uncomfortable to be used, in line with the results from surveys and mismatch of the seat and student measurement data.

An Ergonomic Approach For Designing A Seat For Fish Processing Workers

The present study aimed to design a sitting stool for fish processing worker to reduce the postural stress during work. The study was conducted on 74 male and female fish processing workers selected randomly. The Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) of the subjects was assessed by the modified Nordic Questionnaire method. The body joint angles were measured by a digital goniometer. The results revealed that MSD was highly prevalent in lower back region in both male (78.57%) and female (93.47%) workers. The results of body joint angles suggested a high degree of forward bending during work. Efforts were made to design a sitting stool considering the human factors of the users to reduce the postural problems. The stool was designed by considering 5th and 95th percentile values of different anthropometric dimensions of the male and female workers. Paired comparison tests were employed to determine optimum dimensions of the stool for ensuring the compatibility of the physical characteristics of the stool with human body. From the results of paired comparison test and anthropometric characteristics of the users, physical dimensions of the sitting stool were settled for final designing. From the results, the height of the stool was determined separately for male and female workers. In the suggested design the height of the seat was 25cm for male and 20cm for female where the length and depth of the seat were 40cm and 32cm respectively for both sexes.A mechanical system was incorporated in the design so that the same stool could be used by the male and female workers. Subjective evaluation indicated that most of the subjects (>75%) rated the seat as good or very good. The joint angle study with suggested seat showed improved working posture.

Effect of Tilted Seat Surface on Front Protraction of Upper Limb and Postural Adjustment in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To explore the effects of tilted seat surface on front protraction of upper limb and postural adjustment while sitting in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Methods From 2010 to 2014, 15 children with spastic cerebral palsy (patients group) and 15 healthy children (control group) were recruited. They were asked to reach forward sitting on the tilted seat surface with different degrees (-15°, 0°, 15° ) to test the reaction time and movement time. The contraction times of rectus abdominis and back extensors were recorded and ana-lyzed. Results The reaction time and movement time were shorter, and the contraction rates of rectus abdominis and back extensors were lower in the degree with-15° than with 0° and 15° (P0.05), and the movement time was longer in the patients group than in the control group (P<0.001). The contraction rates were higher in the patients group than in the control group. Conclusion Anterior tilted seat surface may improve the front protraction function of upper limb and the postural adjustment in children with cerebral palsy.