Gyroscope sensor data of shank motion during normal and barefoot walking.

In recent years, shank angular velocity (SAV) has emerged as a valuable tool for accurate temporal gait analysis and motion pattern assessment. To explore SAV among healthy subjects and its capability to distinguish differences between walking conditions, three-dimensional SAV data was measured with a gyroscope sensor during normal and barefoot walking. The resulting dataset contains measurement data from 58 healthy adult subjects aged 19 to 75 years. A single gyroscope was positioned on the lateral side of both shanks just above the lateral malleolus. The data collection involved the subjects walking a 10 m distance three times, both wearing shoes and barefoot. The subjects were instructed to walk with their own natural walking velocity, and each walk began from a stationary position. The dataset has the potential to provide information on how height and weight affect gait kinematics and how barefoot walking differ from walking with shoes. The data also supports designing the collection protocol for more extensive datasets of IMU-based shank motion during gait.

The Definition of Informatics Competencies in Finnish Healthcare and Social Welfare Education.

Finland is a world leader in the use of public electronic services. Continuous improvement to competencies is a prerequisite for the success of digitalisation in the service development sector. The increasing use of information technology in health and social care needs to be taken into account in the education of the health and social care sector work force. The mandate of the national SotePeda 24/7 project is to identify and define the informatics competencies required for multidisciplinary education of this sector in Finland. The project has adapted international recommendations for use in the national context. The national recommendation covers 12 areas of competency and related content. In addition to defining competencies, the project has produced a toolbox of materials for use by educators of these topics in universities that cover applied sciences and lifelong learning. The results of the project are expected to significantly improve the preparedness of graduating health and social care and related engineering and business sector students to make full use information technology, all of which benefits the national health and social welfare system.

Developing User-Centered Continuous Professional Education for ATD Service Personnel.

BACKGROUND: Finnish Assistive Technology Device Service centers raised the question about education to the full-time workers of ATD Services. They nominated a group which included representatives of universities, ATD Service centers and national authorities. This small group drew up background questionnaires concerning the education, its content and length. Three universities started the education, the aim of which was to learn new methods to develop their own work, learning by doing at work with their superiors. This continuous professional education corresponded to 30 ECTS credits and lasted 10 months. RESULTS: Based on the feedback from the guiding group of CPE, students and their superiors, this type of education is needed. It met its goals by giving students methods to develop their work and broaden their view on ATD service when having discussions with other experts. Continuous professional education needs to be developed further and it could also be part of joined European education with national elements.

Education in care and technology, a facilitator of interdisciplinary research and development.

OBJECTIVE: Application of technology in care is hindered by two factors; a critical attitude of care professionals towards the use of technology as part of care delivery and a lack of knowledge of care practice by technology developers. Technological developments may provide adequate solutions to support care provision. The principles of user centred design and development, traditionally used in the development of assistive technology, may provide powerful tools to support care provision. Interdisciplinary research will be needed to take full benefit. Educational programs to support this development are lacking. Main content of this paper: Six organisations of higher education have taken the initiative to organize a training program to support professionals active in the care or in the technology domain that enables them to become involved in interdisciplinary research and development. RESULTS: a European program to educate a professional master in Care and Technology has been developed and is described in this paper. Accreditation of the program is initiated. CONCLUSION: Alumni of such a program may form a European network of professionals that are active in developing new solutions to support people with special needs and contribute to the generation of new business.

Association between Information and Communication Technology Usage and the Quality of Sleep among School-Aged Children during a School Week.

Objective. To determine the association between intensity of information and communication technology (ICT) usage and quality of sleep in school-aged children during a school week. Methods. In all 61 subjects, 10-14 years of age, a quasiexperimental laboratory study where criterions for inclusion were absence of prior medical condition and duration of ICT use. A portable device (Holter monitor) was used to measure heart rate variability (HRV) over a 24-hour period, while activity diary was used to record in 15-minute intervals ICT use and sleep and wake up time. Low and high ICT user groups were formed according to their intensity of ICT use. Statistical analysis was done with two independent samples tests and factorial ANCOVA. Results. The higher ICT users showed a lower sleep time standard deviation of normal to normal interval (SDNN) measures in comparison to the low ICT users. Conclusion. The intensive ICT use was associated with poorer quality of sleep indicated by physiological measures among children and adolescents. Knowing the crucial role of healthy sleep in this age, the results are reason for concern.

Musculoskeletal symptoms and computer use among Finnish adolescents--pain intensity and inconvenience to everyday life: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal symptoms among adolescents are related to the time spent using a computer, but little is known about the seriousness of the symptoms or how much they affect everyday life. The purpose of the present study was to examine the intensity of musculoskeletal pain and level of inconvenience to everyday life, in relation to time spent using a computer. METHODS: In a survey, 436 school children (12 to 13 and 15 to 16 years of age), answered a questionnaire on musculoskeletal and computer-associated musculoskeletal symptoms in neck-shoulder, low back, head, eyes, hands, and fingers or wrists. Pain intensity (computer-associated symptoms) and inconvenience to everyday life (musculoskeletal symptoms) were measured using a visual analogue scale. Based on the frequency and intensity, three categories were formed to classify pain at each anatomic site: none, mild, and moderate/severe. The association with time spent using the computer was analyzed by multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Moderate/severe pain intensity was most often reported in the neck-shoulders (21%); head (20%); and eyes (14%); and moderate/severe inconvenience to everyday life was most often reported due to head (29%), neck-shoulders (21%), and low back (16%) pain. Compared with those using the computer less than 3.6 hours/week, computer use of ≥ 14 hours/week, was associated with moderate/severe increase in computer-associated musculoskeletal pain at all anatomic sites (odds ratio [OR] = 2.9-4.4), and moderate/severe inconvenience to everyday life due to low back (OR = 2.5) and head (OR = 2.0) pain. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal symptoms causing moderate/severe pain and inconvenience to everyday life are common among adolescent computer users. Daily computer use of 2 hours or more increases the risk for pain at most anatomic sites.

Computer-associated health complaints and sources of ergonomic instructions in computer-related issues among Finnish adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The use of computers has increased among adolescents, as have musculoskeletal symptoms. There is evidence that these symptoms can be reduced through an ergonomics approach and through education. The purpose of this study was to examine where adolescents had received ergonomic instructions related to computer use, and whether receiving these instructions was associated with a reduced prevalence of computer-associated health complaints. METHODS: Mailed survey with nationally representative sample of 12 to 18-year-old Finns in 2001 (n = 7292, response rate 70%). In total, 6961 youths reported using a computer. We tested the associations of computer use time and received ergonomic instructions (predictor variables) with computer-associated health complaints (outcome variables) using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: To prevent computer-associated complaints, 61.2% reported having been instructed to arrange their desk/chair/screen in the right position, 71.5% to take rest breaks. The older age group (16-18 years) reported receiving instructions or being self-instructed more often than the 12- to 14-year-olds (p < 0.001). Among both age groups the sources of instructions included school (33.1%), family (28.6%), self (self-instructed) (12.5%), ICT-related (8.6%), friends (1.5%) and health professionals (0.8%). Receiving instructions was not related to lower prevalence of computer-associated health complaints. CONCLUSIONS: This report shows that ergonomic instructions on how to prevent computer-related musculoskeletal problems fail to reach a substantial number of children. Furthermore, the reported sources of instructions vary greatly in terms of reliability.

Do ergonomically designed school workstations decrease musculoskeletal symptoms in children? A 26-month prospective follow-up study.

Workstations at school are among several factors that contribute to musculoskeletal symptoms among school-aged children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ergonomically designed workstations on schoolchildren's musculoskeletal symptoms as compared to conventional workstations. In the first 14-month phase of the study (2002-2003, two schools), 42 from the intervention and 46 from the control school participated. In the total follow-up of 26 months (2002-2004), 23 in the intervention group and 20 in the control group participated. Anthropometrics and musculoskeletal symptoms were measured. In general, the ergonomically designed school workstations did not decrease present neck-shoulder, upper back, low back and lower limbs strain and pain, compared to conventional ones during follow-ups.

Early risk factors for lumbar discectomy: an 11-year follow-up of 57,408 adolescents.

There is a lack of longitudinal studies on the risk factors of lumbar discectomy. Using combined population survey and hospital discharge register data in a prospective longitudinal design, we investigated the association between adolescent risk factors and lumbar discectomy until early middle age. A prospective cohort of health survey respondents (n = 57,408) aged 14-18 years was followed for 651,000 person-years (average follow-up, 11.3 years). Study endpoints were lumbar discectomy, death or end of follow-up. Participants' mean age at the end of follow-up was 27 years. In multivariate Cox's regression analysis, the significant risk factor for lumbar discectomy among male respondents was daily smoking, HR being 1.5 (95% CI 1.1-2.2). In females, frequent participation in sports clubs (HR 2.7, 95% CI 1.1-6.3) and overweight (HR 2.1; 95% CI 1.1-4.1) were significantly associated with an increased risk of lumbar discectomy. Daily smoking in males and frequent participation in sports clubs and overweight in females measured at adolescence were statistically associated with lumbar discectomy at an 11-year follow-up, although the hazard ratios were relatively small. Further study of these common risk factors and their modifications may lead to a better understanding of the causes of lumbar disc herniation.

Predictors of low back pain hospitalization--a prospective follow-up of 57,408 adolescents.

Low back pain (LBP) is common among adolescents and it has been estimated that one-fifth of adolescents suffer from recurrent severe LBP. However, longitudinal studies describing the risk factors of LBP are scarce. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether health, physical activity and other health behaviors, socio-demographic background and school success predict LBP hospitalization until early middle age. A cohort of 72,378 adolescents (57,408 respondents, response rate 79%) aged 14-18 years participating in a population survey between 1979 and 1997 was followed for an average of 11.1 years through the national hospital discharge register. We identified 810 (1.1%) persons with LBP hospitalization, 620 males (1.7% of the whole male cohort) and 190 (0.5%) females (HR 3.2; 95% CI: 2.7-3.7). In multivariate Cox's analysis, the strongest risk factors for LBP hospitalization for the whole cohort were weekly health complaints (HR 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2-1.9), daily smoking (HR 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1-1.7), and poor school success (HR 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1-1.9). Late puberty decreased the risk in males (HR 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5-0.9). Among females, participation in organized sports (HR 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1-2.5) was associated with an increased risk for LBP hospitalization. The associations between the risk factors and LBP hospitalization persisted into adulthood. Efforts to reduce adolescent smoking may decrease LBP-related morbidity in males. Coaches should pay special attention to the nature of physical training and personal exercises in females, and physiotherapists and sports physicians to the prevention of LBP hospitalization.

The working postures among schoolchildren--a controlled intervention study on the effects of newly designed workstations.

BACKGROUND: School workstations are often inappropriate in not offering an optimal sitting posture. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of individually adjustable saddle-type chairs with wheels and desks with comfort curve and arm support on schoolchildren's working postures compared to conventional workstations. METHODS: Ninety-seven participants aged 12-16 years were followed for 1 year, 47 at an intervention school and 50 at a control school. Anthropometrics and workstation dimensions were measured and working postures analyzed for a part of each group (n = 21, both groups) by means of video recording at baseline, before new workstations were introduced, and during follow-up. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in upright back (p= .012) and neck (p= .019) postures in the intervention group compared to controls during follow-up. The saddle-type chairs allowed significantly greater trunk-thigh angles (p < .001) among participants than conventional chairs. CONCLUSIONS: In schoolchildren, using individually adjustable saddle-type chairs and desks with comfort curve, a better match between workstations and anthropometric dimensions and improved working postures are obtained than using conventional workstations.

Use of information and communication technology (ICT) and perceived health in adolescence: the role of sleeping habits and waking-time tiredness.

The first aim for this paper was to examine gender and age differences in the intensity of usage of information and communication technology (ICT: computer for digital playing, writing and e-mailing and communication, and Internet surfing, and mobile phone). Second, we modelled the possible mediating role of sleeping habits and waking-time tiredness in the association between ICT usage and perceived health (health complaints, musculoskeletal symptoms, health status). The participants were 7292 Finns aged 12, 14, 16 and 18 years responding to a postal enquiry (response rate 70%). The results showed that boys played digital games and used Internet more often than girls, whose mobile phone usage was more intensive. Structural equation model analyses substantiated the mediating hypothesis: intensive ICT-usage was associated with poor perceived health particularly or only when it negatively affected sleeping habits, which in turn was associated with increased waking-time tiredness. The associations were gender-specific especially among older adolescents (16- and 18-year olds). Intensive computer usage forms a risk for boys', and intensive mobile phone usage for girls' perceived health through the mediating links. Girls were vulnerable to the negative consequences of intensive mobile phone usage, as it associated with perceived health complaints and musculoskeletal symptoms both directly and through deteriorated sleep and increased waking-time tiredness. The results of gender-specific ICT usage and vulnerability are discussed as reflecting gendered psychophysiological, psychological and social developmental demands.

Frequent computer-related activities increase the risk of neck-shoulder and low back pain in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Neck-shoulder pain (NSP) and low back pain (LBP) increased among adolescents in the 1990s and the beginning of 2000. A potential risk factor for this increase is the use of information and communication technology. We studied how the use of computers, the Internet, and mobile phones, playing digital games and viewing television are related to NSP and LBP in adolescents. METHODS: Mailed survey with nationally representative samples of 14-, 16-, and 18-year-old Finns in 2003 (n = 6003, response rate 68%). The outcome variables were weekly NSP and LBP. RESULTS: NSP was perceived by 26% and LBP by 12%. When compared with non-users, the risk of NSP was 1.3 (adjusted odds ratios) when using computers > 2-3 h/day, and 1.8 when using 4-5 h/day; 2.5 when using computers > or = 42 h/week, and 1.7 when using the Internet > or = 42 h/week. Compared with non-users, the risk of LBP was 2.0 when using computers > 5 h/day, 1.7 when using > or = 42 h/week, 1.8 when using the Internet > or = 42 h/week, and 2.0 when playing digital games > 5 h/day. Times spent on digital gaming, viewing television, and using mobile phones were not associated with NSP, nor were use of mobile phones and viewing television with LBP after adjusting for confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent computer-related activities are an independent risk factor for NSP and LBP. Daily use of computers exceeding 2-3 h seems to be a threshold for NSP and exceeding 5 h for LBP. Computer-related activities may explain the increase of NSP and LBP in the 1990s and the beginning of 2000.