Occupational biomechanics with applications to pregnancy

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The long term objectives of my research are to contribute to knowledge towards the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and low back pain due to occupational tasks. One aspect of special interest to me is how physical changes such as those due to pregnancy or age affect the way people work. For example, how do women in late pregnancy, whose trunk centre of mass has substantially moved anteriorly, lift and ensure body balance and trunk stability while also controlling the loads on their spine? Consideration of balance is also important for older workers and when lifting/handling loads that are not predictable such as children. The proposed research program consists in developing tools to evaluate trunk stability and whole body balance and their role in lifting and to apply these tools and methods to three situations. We will evaluate the effects of the changes due to pregnancy and age on trunk stability and body balance, and study the lifting strategies used by workers to cope with pregnancy and age related changes. We will also identify strategies used by people to cope with non-predictable loads such as children. Previous research showed that falls are frequent in late pregnancy and with older people. Back pain affects about one out of two pregnant women and is also quite prevalent in daycare workers. The results of the proposed research program will constitute a knowledge basis for recommendations on safe lifting for these three categories of workers. Using state of the art research facilities in Motion Capture and Motion Analysis, we will determine measures of trunk stability and body balance, spinal loads and trunk muscle activity during lifting/handling tasks. These measures will be used to compare lifting strategies of 1) pregnant and non-pregnant women and 2) young and older workers. They will also be used to compare body balance, spinal stability and spinal loads during the lifting or handling of predictable loads, such as boxes, and unpredictable loads simulating an active child. The results of the research on pregnancy will be useful to Canadian physicians who make recommendations for work accommodations for pregnant women, to employers and to pregnant women. To our knowledge, techniques for lifting and carrying children have never been studied. The need to improve safety in daycares has been acknowledged both in Quebec (CSST) and Ontario (OHCOW). The results of the proposed research and the associated field research will be translated into recommendations for improving safety in daycares, and will be useful for daycare workers, their employers, and parents. Similarly, the work on the effect of age is innovative and important as little work has been done to evaluate the specific risks for older workers, an increasing part of the workforce. This research program will contribute to the research training of four Master’s and four PhD students in Occupational Biomechanics.