Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 19.1 What do Individual Factors Represent?
Usual Naming of Factor Types
Individual Factor(s)
Potential Construct(s)
Demographic
Gender
Differential labour market, different
tasks, capacities and reactions to
stress — all resulting in different
exposures
Age
Cumulative exposure, decreased
tolerance and different skills and
experience
Work
Work-style
Different biomechanical exposures
Anthropometry
Height and weight
Mismatch between equipment and
person, differential tissue demands
Psychological
Personality
Differential kinematics, differential
coping capacity
Lifestyle
Physical activity, hobbies, sports
Additional loads or physical exposures
Smoking, drugs
Additional exposures
Comorbidity
Diabetes, pregnancy
Additional internal exposures
Distress, depression
Altered biochemistry, different pain
perception threshold
Past history
Episode of MSK disorder
Lower tolerance
Social
Divorced-widowed
Lower social support
Minority race
Discrimination
Poverty
Complex socio-health contexts
Note different grouping in text which tries to group underlying constructs.
Physical differences between workers, such as variability in body size and height, can give rise
to anthropometric mismatches between individuals and their job demands, such as when taller or
shorter people are placed in “average” nonadjustable workstations (Chung et al., 1997). Equipment
usability problems may be exacerbated by anthropometric differences (Botha and Bridger, 1998).
Variation in muscle bulk or physical capacity may influence the biomechanical exposures from tools
such as a hand-held powered nutrunner, with small women experiencing greater demands than large
men (Oh and Radwin, 1998). Psychological differences can also result in different biomechanical
exposures at the tissue level. Those scoring higher on different personality traits, as measured by the
Meyer-Briggs Trait Inventory, showed differential trunk kinematics while carrying out standard lifting
tasks (Marras et al., 2000).
19.2.2 Concommitant External
Internal Exposures
Participation in sports, vibration experienced during driving, or certain household and care-taking
activities, are examples of exposures outside the work environment that add to the overall physical
demands placed on individuals. Furthermore, chemical exposures such as smoking may increase risk
of low back pain (Leino-Arjas, 1999). An individuals' physiological status is another important factor
that affects the development of certain MSK conditions, such as circulating endogenous hormone
levels during pregnancy can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), through alteration of fluid
balance among women (Weimer et al., 2002). Some pathophysiological states likely alter chemical
environments for joints as well, giving rise to condtions such as shoulder adhesive capsulitis and
limited joint mobility among patients with type II diabetes mellitus (Balci et al., 1999).
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19.2.3 Vulnerabilities
Closely related are underlying genetic factors with their resultant contribution to both physical structure
and chemical environments in ways that make individuals more vulnerable to MSK disorders. Familial
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