Monitoring and Evaluation of Posture in Office Workstations With Artificial Intelligence

NCT04122326 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: UP-19-00140
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Office workers spend 11.6 hours per day in sedentary activities during the day, leading to increased health risks. Although there is literature on prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and work station modification for office workers, successful implementation and follow-through of evidence-based recommendations in office environments is extremely challenging. This study aims to validate various techniques for evaluating posture, particularly in the neck, shoulder, and trunk, in order to develop evidence-based feedback for the office desk user. This study will include up to 40 volunteers over the age of 18 who regularly work on computer-based tasks at a desk. Participants will be observed working in a provided work station in a variety of different working postures. Data are collected using electromyography sensors, Kinect camera, and at least two video recording cameras to obtain postural information. Measurement of joint positioning and posture will be completed using an ergonomic screening tool from images collected throughout the testing. Participants will provide information on their level of comfort throughout various body regions in response to working in various positions. This will be an iterative study with multiple positions used to test the positioning of sensors, and the development of suitable algorithms to evaluate posture. The collected data will be used to inform sensing methods for office work posture.

Conditions

Musculoskeletal Pain; Musculoskeletal Injury; Musculoskeletal Strain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Pain on the Visual Analog Pain Scale from baseline

  A Visual Analog Pain Scale is a ten-centimeter long line in which participants are asked to place a mark from a minimum of 0 (no pain) to a maximum of 10 (worst pain imaginable). Participants respond to pain, discomfort, or other sensations (i.e. numbness) in their R/L Hand/Wrist, R/L Forearm/Elbow, R/L Shoulder, Neck, Upper Back, Lower Back, R/L Hip/Leg, R/L Foot.

  Baseline, every 10 minutes the first hour, every 15 minutes the second hour

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Posture on the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment

  Every ten minutes the first hour, average across the second hour

Study Arms (1)

Posture Sequence

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will complete computer work on a provided monitor and keyboard for two hours. During the first hour, the research personnel will alter the workstation every ten minutes to test various different postures of the neck, shoulder, arms, and trunk. The sequence will include 3 seated postures and 3 standing postures. At the end of the first hour, the participant will be instructed to adjust the workstation independently and continue to work for 60 minutes for an observational session.

Behavioral: Workstation Modification

Interventions

Workstation Modification BEHAVIORAL

Participants are asked to work in a sequence of workstation setups for ten minutes each. The sequence include 1. sitting with workstation adjusted by the participant, 2. sitting with workstation adjusted to promote proper posture, 3. sitting with workstation adjusted to promote unnatural posture, 4. standing with workstation adjusted by the participant, 5. standing with workstation adjusted to promote proper posture, and 6. standing with workstation adjusted to promote unnatural posture. After the sequence of setups, the participant allowed to adjust the workstation in either sitting/standing to work in 60 minutes in their own desired position.

Posture Sequence

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• years old or older
• Ability to read, speak, and converse in English

You may not qualify if:

• Severe limitations in range of motion through the upper extremity, trunk or neck
• Significant musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical radiculopathy)
• Neurological conditions that affect sensation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Southern California: lead
• U.S. National Science Foundation: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California, 90089, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Musculoskeletal Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Shawn C Roll, PhD

  University of Southern California

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: Participants will be asked to work at an office workstation in a sequence of different workstation setups.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 8, 2019
• First Posted: October 10, 2019
• Study Start: May 1, 2019
• Primary Completion: October 25, 2019
• Study Completion: January 15, 2020
• Last Updated: November 3, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)