Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Researchers Develop Webcam Tool to Improve Posture of Office Workers
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Researchers Develop Webcam Tool to Improve Posture of Office Workers
August 2, 2011
Business & Management, Medical Research, Press Releases, Robotics & High-Tech
Beer-Sheva, Israel, August 2, 2011– A multidisciplinary team at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has developed a new training method using a desktop webcam to improve ergonomic posture and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among office workers using computers.
According to an article in Applied Ergonomics in the forthcoming issue, a group of 60 workers received both office training and an automatic frequent-feedback system that displayed a webcam photo of a worker’s current sitting posture alongside the correct posture photo taken during office training.
The results showed that both training methods provided effective short-term posture improvement; however, sustained improvement was only attained with the photo-training method. Both interventions had a greater effect on older workers and on workers suffering more musculoskeletal pain. The photo-training method had a greater positive effect on women than on men.
“To maintain the effectiveness of an ergonomic intervention for the long term, the intervention should be a continuous process, which includes frequent feedback,” the researchers explain. “This new ergonomic method can also result in preventing MSD among workers and reduce financial loss to their employers.”
The method of frequent and continuous feedback using photos was found to be effective in improving the sitting posture of computer workers over time. These conclusions have direct implications for many workers in industry and services.
It is recommended that such self-modeling, photo-training software be installed on the worker’s computer to provide frequent and long-term feedback. The research suggests that this should be implemented in addition to the conventional office ergonomic intervention that combines specialized ergonomic training and workstation adjustments.
In light of the differences in effect between men and women, combining supplementary feedback targeted to different audiences should be considered. For example, it is recommended to consider adding more detailed feedback that would call attention to deviations from the desired pose for each of the body segments, and evaluate its deferential effect on both genders over the long term.
The multidisciplinary team of researchers included Dr. Meirav Taieb-Maimon and Prof. Bracha Shapira from BGU’s Department of Information Systems Engineering, Prof. Julie Cwikel of the Center for Women’s Health Studies and Promotion, Dr. Ella Kordish from occupational health and epidemiology and Dr. Naftali Liebermann from orthopedic surgery at Soroka University Medical Center.
This study was funded by a grant from Israel’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor to support the incorporation of video and computer-based technology to address occupational health problems.
See ABC World News Report video on posture study and other helpful tips for healthy office behavior.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
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20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
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