Adverse Effects of Sit and Stand Workstations on the Health Outcomes of Assembly Line Workers: A Cross-sectional Study
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Keywords

Fatigue
Musculoskeletal symptom
Productivity
Sitting workstation
Standing workstation

Abstract

Introduction: Sitting and standing workstations can affect individual's health outcomes differently. This study aimed to assess the effects of sit and stand workstations on energy expenditure and some blood parameters, musculoskeletal symptom/pain and discomfort, fatigue, and productivity among workers of assembly line of a belt factory.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 47 male assembly line workers (24 workers in sitting workstation and 23 workers in standing workstation) with at least one year of working experience. Data were gathered via demographic/occupational characteristics, Fitbit system, medical records, Persian version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (P-NMQ), Persian version of the Numeric Rating Scale (P-NRS), Persian version of the Swedish Occupational Fatigue (P-SOFI), and Persian version of the Health and Work Questionnaire (P-HWQ).

Results: The findings of the present study revealed that the energy expenditure, blood glucose/triglyceride there are not statistically differences between in sitting and standing groups. In addition, the prevalence of the MSs in the neck, lower back, knees, and ankles/feet in standing group was significantly higher than the sitting group. Generally, occupational fatigue was higher among the standing group compared to sitting group. About productivity, the ‘concentration/focus’ and ‘impatience/irritability’ subscales in sitting group were higher than the standing group. Contrariwise, other subscales of the productivity, including ‘productivity’, ‘supervisor relations’, ‘non-work satisfaction’, ‘work satisfaction’ in the standing group were higher than the sitting group.

Conclusions: To reduce the adverse effects of sitting and standing workstations on individual's health outcomes, planning to use sit-stand workstations is recommended.  

https://doi.org/10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2.1567
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