Transtheoretical Model Is Better Predictor of Physiological Stress than Perceived Stress Scale and Work Ability Index among Office Workers.

Physical activity impacts positively on stress and anxiety. Working conditions affect the quality of life by increasing stress levels, which can affect job performance and work absence. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Work Ability Index (WAI), Transtheoretical Model (TTM), as well as heart rate variability (HRV) have been applied to monitor the state of workers in their job. The aim of this study was to analyze PSS, WAI, and TTM classifications, and to find out how are they linked to physiological stress (HRV). One hundred and thirteen office workers responded to the three questionnaires and their HRV was monitored for at least two full days. Groups were set up according to TTM (Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3-4, Stage 5), WAI (weak WAI, medium WAI, good WAI), and PSS (low PSS, medium PSS, high PSS). Results obtained from the test were related to stress values measured by HRV with a Bodyguard2 device. The Stage 5 group from TTM had better HVR and stress levels than the other groups for both women and men (p < 0.05). Participants in the good WAI group and low PSS group had better results than weak WAI and high PSS, but the differences with respect to medium WAI and medium PSS were less clear. Finally, TTM seemed to be the best tool to discriminate physiological stress in office workers with regard to other questionnaires.

A Descriptive Analysis of Body Composition Among Forest Firefighters in Spain.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the body composition profile of forest firefighters. Data were collected from 701 forest firefighters. METHODS: We have carried out this analysis using a bioimpedance scale BC-601 of the brand Tanita ISO 9001 Certified. RESULTS: Obtained values of body mass index 24.85 in women and 27.83 in men. The visceral fat index was 5 in women and 9 in men. In both cases, taking as reference the values proposed by the WHO, women are within a low-moderate risk of cardiovascular or metabolic diseases. Men are at a moderate-high risk. CONCLUSIONS: The values obtained in the analysis show that forest firefighters have a moderate risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in the future. It is effective to propose future works that elaborate specific physical activity plans to improve their health profile.

Executive Stress Management: Physiological Load of Stress and Recovery in Executives on Workdays.

Objective: The use of high-performance sports technology to describe the physiological load of stress and the quality of recovery in a population of executives during the workday. Methodology: Heart rate variability values were recorded during 48 h from which the relationship between stress/recovery quality (stress balance) was obtained for three differentiated time slots: work, after work, and night in a workday. Results: We observed a negative stress balance during the 24 h of measurement in the course of a workday, being negative at work and after work, and positive at night. The stress generated or maintained outside working hours correlates significantly with a lower quality of recovery during the 24 h workday. Conclusions: It is necessary to prioritize strategies that help improve stress management in executives through the improvement of tools and strategies that mainly promote greater relaxation outside working hours.

Echographic and kinetic changes in the shoulder joint after manual wheelchair propulsion under two different workload settings.

Manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) have a high prevalence of shoulder pain due to the use of the upper extremity for independent mobility, transfers, and other activities of daily living. Indeed, shoulder pain dramatically affects quality of life of these individuals. There is limited evidence obtained through radiographic techniques of a relationship between the forces acting on the shoulder during different propulsion conditions and shoulder pathologies. Today, ultrasound is widely accepted as a precise tool in diagnosis, displaying particularly effectiveness in screening the shoulder rotator cuff. Thus, we set out to perform an ultrasound-based study of the acute changes to the shoulder soft tissues after propelling a manual wheelchair in two workload settings. Shoulder joint kinetics was recorded from 14 manual wheelchair users with SCI while they performed high- and low-intensity wheelchair propulsion tests (constant and incremental). Shoulder joint forces and moments were obtained from inverse dynamic methods, and ultrasound screening of the shoulder was performed before and immediately after the test. Kinetic changes were more relevant after the most intensive task, showing the significance of high-intensity activity, yet no differences were found in ultrasound-related parameters before and after each propulsion task. It therefore appears that further studies will be needed to collect clinical data and correlate data regarding shoulder pain with both ultrasound images and data from shoulder kinetics.

Comparative biomechanical analysis of gait in patients with central cord and Brown-Séquard syndrome.

PURPOSE: This is a pilot study with the aim to highlight the use of kinematic and kinetic analyses as an adjunct to the assessment of individual patients with central cord syndrome (CCS) and hemisection or Brown-Séquard syndrome (BSS) and to discuss their possible consequences for clinical management. METHODS: The sample studied consisted of 17 patients with CCS, 13 with BSS and 20 control subjects (control group (CG)). Data were obtained using a three-dimensional motion analysis system and two force plates. Gait differences were compared between CCS, BSS walking at a self-selected speed and CG at both a self-selected and a similar speed to that of the patient groups. RESULTS: The most relevant findings involved the knee and ankle, especially in the sagittal plane. In patients with CCS, knee flexion at initial contact was increased with respect to those in the BSS group (p < 0.01). The ankle in the BSS group made initial contact with a small degree of plantar flexion. CONCLUSION: The use of gait biomechanical analysis to detect underlying impairments can help the physician to set a specific rehabilitation program in each CCS and BSS walking patient. In this group of patients, rehabilitation treatment should aim to improve gait control and optimise ankle positioning at initial contact. Implications for Rehabilitation In this study, gait differences between patients with CSS and BSS were evaluated with biomechanical equipment. The most remarkable differences were found in the knee and ankle sagittal plane due to ankle position at initial contact. In this group of patients, rehabilitation treatment should aim to improve gait control and to get a better ankle positioning at initial contact.

Comparative ergonomic assessment of manual wheelchairs by paraplegic users.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to describe and test the reliability of a comprehensive product-centered approach to assessing functional performance and wheelchair user perceptions on device ergonomics and satisfaction of performance. A pilot study was implemented using this approach to evaluate differences among four manual wheelchairs. METHOD: Six wheelchair users with complete spinal cord injury (SCI) at the thoracic level and with no previous upper limbs impairment were recruited for this study. After finishing circuit tasks, subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire about ergonomic wheelchair characteristics (manoeuvrability, stability, comfort and ease of propulsion) and satisfaction about task performance. On the other hand, objective data were recorded during user performance as the time required to complete each test, kinetic wheelchair propulsion data obtained with two SMARTWheels® and physiological parameters (heart rate and physiological index). RESULTS: Kuschall Champion® and Otto Bock Voyage® wheelchairs were ranked best for most ergonomic aspects specially in manoeuvrability (p < 0.05). Less time was required to execute most of the circuit tasks in both wheelchair models (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This approach proposed highlight the importance of looking both kinds of information, user perception and user functional performance when evaluating a wheelchair or comparing across devices.

Physical activity and transcutaneous oxygen pressure in men with spinal cord injury.

This pilot study proposed a method for assessing the status of vascular flow measured by transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2) in the area of the ischium in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). In a sample of 38 men (two groups: 12 physically active and 26 sedentary) with thoracic SCI, the distribution of the physiological response of the tissues under load during sitting was assessed through analysis of ischium TcPO2 values obtained by an oximeter. TcPO2 baseline, recovery time of TcPO2 after sitting (Trec), the percentage of TcPO2 (%TcPO2) of maximum pressure TcPO2, and mechanic maximal pressure (Pmax) were evaluated. Trec in the physically active group was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in the sedentary group. Likewise, significant differences in %TcPO2 between groups (p < 0.05) were also found. We concluded that the physiological response of the tissues under an individual with SCI's own weight resulting from prolonged sitting is better in those who are physically active.

Relation between kinematic analysis of wheelchair propulsion and wheelchair functional basketball classification.

The objective was to conduct a methodological pilot study to analyze wheelchair propulsion upper limb kinematics in standard competitive play considering the functional classification of each athlete. Ten basketball players with a functional classification ranging from 1 to 4 were included in the study. Four camcorders (Kinescan-IBV) and a treadmill for wheelchairs were used. Temporal parameters were analyzed and the upper limb kinematics was obtained using ISB recommendations. The value of the temporal parameters such as push phase duration, the ratio of push phase/recovery phase, contact, and propulsion angle seems to reduce as the functional classification increases. A methodological protocol has been developed that allows the analysis of kinematic characteristics of wheelchair propulsion in basketball players taking into account their functional classification.

Gait kinematic analysis in patients with a mild form of central cord syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Central cord syndrome (CCS) is considered the most common incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Independent ambulation was achieved in 87-97% in young patients with CCS but no gait analysis studies have been reported before in such pathology. The aim of this study was to analyze the gait characteristics of subjects with CCS and to compare the findings with a healthy age, sex and anthropomorphically matched control group (CG), walking both at a self-selected speed and at the same speed. METHODS: Twelve CCS patients and a CG of twenty subjects were analyzed. Kinematic data were obtained using a three-dimensional motion analysis system with two scanner units. The CG were asked to walk at two different speeds, at a self-selected speed and at a slower one, similar to the mean gait speed previously registered in the CCS patient group. Temporal, spatial variables and kinematic variables (maximum and minimum lower limb joint angles throughout the gait cycle in each plane, along with the gait cycle instants of occurrence and the joint range of motion - ROM) were compared between the two groups walking at similar speeds. RESULTS: The kinematic parameters were compared when both groups walked at a similar speed, given that there was a significant difference in the self-selected speeds (p < 0.05). Hip abduction and knee flexion at initial contact, as well as minimal knee flexion at stance, were larger in the CCS group (p < 0.05). However, the range of knee and ankle motion in the sagittal plane was greater in the CG group (p < 0.05). The maximal ankle plantar-flexion values in stance phase and at toe off were larger in the CG (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The gait pattern of CCS patients showed a decrease of knee and ankle sagittal ROM during level walking and an increase in hip abduction to increase base of support. The findings of this study help to improve the understanding how CCS affects gait changes in the lower limbs.

Wheelchair basketball quantification.

Classification systems are one of the key elements in sports for people with disability, including wheelchair basketball. Further scientific studies to validate classification systems are needed. This article describes the most relevant research, with emphasis on biomechanics.