Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2009. / Title from title screen (site viewed February 25, 2010). PDF text: 80 p. : ill. ; 206 K. UMI publication number: AAT 3386551. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-02-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:37:40Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_rm_me_bauru.pdf: 830347 bytes, checksum: e0bae54e1790df70aaa93108fa369c07 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A postura sentada promovo diversas alterações nas estruturas músculo-esquelética, na circulação dos membros inferiores e no conforto dos membros superiores. Tais alterações produzem consequencias no processo de ensino-aprendizagem no âmbito escolar. Esta pesquisa buscou investigar os efeitos do procedimento de Reforço de Verbalização (RV) e Treino de Correspondência (TC) sobre a postura sentada em escolares e sobre seus relatos acerca dos posicionamentos dos pés, coluna lombar, coluna cervical e antebraços em três sequencias (Dizer-Fazer, Fazer-Dizer e Dizer-Fazer-Dizer). Participaram do estudo 9 alunos do 4º ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola pública do estado de São Paulo, com alturas semelhantes, que foram divididos em três grupos: Dizer-Fazer, (DF), Fazer-Dizer, (FD) e Dizer-Fazer-Dizer (DFD) com três alunos em cada grupo. O procedimento experimental compreendeu 4 condições experimentais: Linha de Base 1, Reforço de Verbalização (as respostas verbais corretas emitidas pelos participantes eram consequenciadas positivamente pela pesquisadora), Treino de Correspondência (a emissão das respostas verbais e dos posicionamentos corretos dos participantes eram consequenciados positivamente) e Linha de Base 2. Para verificar a correspondência entre o comportamento verbal e o não-verbal foi analisada a frequencia das respostas verbais corretas apresentadas pelos alunos em relação aos registros dos posicionamentos apresentados em relação a cada segmento corporal selecionado. Durante a Fase RV a frequencia da verbalização correta aumentou para todos os participantes dos três grupos, e os posicionamentos dos segmentos corporais pés e coluna lombar aumentaram para os participantes dos grupos DF e FD. / The sitting posture promotes several changes in the musculoskeletal structures, the movement of the lower limbs and in the comfort of the upper limbs. These effects have consequences in the teaching and learning in schools. This research investigates the effects of the procedure Boost Verbosity (VR) training and correspondence (TC) on sitting posture in children and about his statement regarding the positions of the feet, spine, cervical spine and forearm in three sequences (say-Do, Do-say and Do-Say-Say). Study participants were nine students in the 4th grade of elementary education at a public school in the state of Sao Paulo, with similar heights, which were divided into three groups: Say-Do, (DF), Do-Tell (FD) and Say-Do-Telling (DFD) with three students in each group. The experimental prodedure consisted of four experimental conditions: baseline 1, Strengthening of verbalization (the correct verbal responses issued by the participants were positive consequences for the researcher), Correspondence Training (the emission of verbal responses and the correct positioning of the participants were positive consequences) and Baseline 2. To verify the correspondence between the verbal and nonverbal analyzed the frequency of correct verbal responses made by students in relation to records of the positions presented in relation to each body segment selected. During Phase RV verbalization correct frequency increased for all three groups of participants, and positions of body segments, Iegs and lumbar spine increased for participants in the FD groups. In Phase CT correct verbalization was maintained by all participants of all groups and increased the correct position all body segments and hence the correspondence between the verbal and nonverbal behavior. In LB2 correct verbalization was maintained in all groups and there was a small decrease in matching segments of the cervical spine for all groups and for groups of forearms and DF DFD.

Orientador: Maria Regina Cavalcante / Banca: Luis Carlos Paschoarelli / Banca: Jair Lopes Junior / Resumo: A postura sentada promovo diversas alterações nas estruturas músculo-esquelética, na circulação dos membros inferiores e no conforto dos membros superiores. Tais alterações produzem consequencias no processo de ensino-aprendizagem no âmbito escolar. Esta pesquisa buscou investigar os efeitos do procedimento de Reforço de Verbalização (RV) e Treino de Correspondência (TC) sobre a postura sentada em escolares e sobre seus relatos acerca dos posicionamentos dos pés, coluna lombar, coluna cervical e antebraços em três sequencias (Dizer-Fazer, Fazer-Dizer e Dizer-Fazer-Dizer). Participaram do estudo 9 alunos do 4º ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola pública do estado de São Paulo, com alturas semelhantes, que foram divididos em três grupos: Dizer-Fazer, (DF), Fazer-Dizer, (FD) e Dizer-Fazer-Dizer (DFD) com três alunos em cada grupo. O procedimento experimental compreendeu 4 condições experimentais: Linha de Base 1, Reforço de Verbalização (as respostas verbais corretas emitidas pelos participantes eram consequenciadas positivamente pela pesquisadora), Treino de Correspondência (a emissão das respostas verbais e dos posicionamentos corretos dos participantes eram consequenciados positivamente) e Linha de Base 2. Para verificar a correspondência entre o comportamento verbal e o não-verbal foi analisada a frequencia das respostas verbais corretas apresentadas pelos alunos em relação aos registros dos posicionamentos apresentados em relação a cada segmento corporal selecionado. Durante a Fase RV a frequencia da verbalização correta aumentou para todos os participantes dos três grupos, e os posicionamentos dos segmentos corporais pés e coluna lombar aumentaram para os participantes dos grupos DF e FD. / Abstract: The sitting posture promotes several changes in the musculoskeletal structures, the movement of the lower limbs and in the comfort of the upper limbs. These effects have consequences in the teaching and learning in schools. This research investigates the effects of the procedure Boost Verbosity (VR) training and correspondence (TC) on sitting posture in children and about his statement regarding the positions of the feet, spine, cervical spine and forearm in three sequences (say-Do, Do-say and Do-Say-Say). Study participants were nine students in the 4th grade of elementary education at a public school in the state of Sao Paulo, with similar heights, which were divided into three groups: Say-Do, (DF), Do-Tell (FD) and Say-Do-Telling (DFD) with three students in each group. The experimental prodedure consisted of four experimental conditions: baseline 1, Strengthening of verbalization (the correct verbal responses issued by the participants were positive consequences for the researcher), Correspondence Training (the emission of verbal responses and the correct positioning of the participants were positive consequences) and Baseline 2. To verify the correspondence between the verbal and nonverbal analyzed the frequency of correct verbal responses made by students in relation to records of the positions presented in relation to each body segment selected. During Phase RV verbalization correct frequency increased for all three groups of participants, and positions of body segments, Iegs and lumbar spine increased for participants in the FD groups. In Phase CT correct verbalization was maintained by all participants of all groups and increased the correct position all body segments and hence the correspondence between the verbal and nonverbal behavior. In LB2 correct verbalization was maintained in all groups and there was a small decrease in matching segments of the cervical spine for all groups and for groups of forearms and DF DFD. / Mestre

Thesis (MScPhysio (Physiotherapy))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The Western Cape Education Department initiated a project that aims to provide all the learners from the province with computer access and to promote computer use in schools. Prolonged sitting in front of computers and psychosocial factors have been associated with musculoskeletal symptoms internationally. However, the impact of computer use on musculoskeletal pain among South African high school learners is yet to be determined. Objective The objective of the study was to determine whether sitting postural alignment and psychosocial factors contribute to the development of upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain in grade ten high school learners working on desktop computers. Study design An observational analytical study was performed on a sample of 104 asymptomatic high school learners. Methodology Six high schools in the Western Cape metropole were randomly selected 322 grade ten learners who are using desktop computers, were screened for upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain. Measurements at baseline were taken of the 104 asymptomatic learners, 49 girls and 55 boys. The sitting postural alignment was measured by using the Portable Posture Analysis Method (PPAM), which measured head tilt; cervical angle; shoulder pro- and retraction angle and thoracic angle in the sagittal plane. Depression and anxiety were described by using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) respectively. The exposure to computer use was described in terms of duration and frequency of daily and weekly computer use. At three and six months post baseline, the onset and area of upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain was determined by using the Computer Usage Questionnaire. Results After six months, 27 of the 104 learners developed upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain due to seated or computer-related activities. There was no difference in computer exposure between the learners who developed upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain symptoms and the learners who remained asymptomatic. An extreme cervical angle (<34.75° or >43.95°; OR 2.6; 95% CI: 1.0-6.7) and a combination of extreme cervical and thoracic angle (<63.1° or >71.1°; OR 2.19; 95% CI: 1.0-5.6) were significant postural risk factors for the development of upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain. There was a tendency for boys to be at a greater risk for upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain than the girls (OR 1.94; 95% CI: 0.9-4.9). Weight greater than 54.15kg and a depression score greater than 11 was found to be significantly associated with a poor posture (OR 3.1; 95% CI: 1.0-9.7; OR 1.02; 95% CI: 1.0-1.1). Discussion and conclusion The study concluded that poor posture, relating to extreme cervical and thoracic angles, is a risk factor for the development of upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain in high school learners working on desktop computers. South African boys were at a greater risk of developing upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain than the girls. However the study found no causal relationship between depression, anxiety and upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain among South African high school learners and computer usage.

An innovative Partially Immersed Approach, based on mixed principles of land and aquatic therapy theories was developed to enhance sitting adaptation and functioning in an Aquatics Therapy environment, thus improving quality of life for children with Cerebral Palsy. The approach aimed to enhance motor adaptation, engendering adaptation in psychosocial domains of quality of life. It employed a specially developed therapeutic treatment chair, in an unloading toward loading strategy, to regulate and control percentage of weight-bearing by manipulation of buoyancy (Archimedes principle). Participants were bilateral spastic hypertonia, Cerebral Palsy children, aged 10-15 years. Mixed-method methodology was used to investigate effectiveness of treatment, employing a small sample in a multiple case study. In conclusion, the developed approach enables aquatic therapy to be employed to improve motor function adaptation on land and consequently enhancing adaptation in other psychosocial domains - perceived competence, empowerment and motivation - thus improving quality of life for children with cerebral palsy, sustained at a one-year post-intervention test.

<p>Children with myelomeningocele (MMC) usually have problems with daily life activities, but the background to their problems is not altogether obvious. An understanding of the possible causes of activity problems is a prerequisite for the effectiveness of physical therapy. The overall aim of the present studies was to identify impairments above the cele level, which might influence mobility in children with MMC (study I) and to analyse sitting posture (study II) and the movement characteristics of reaching movements (study III and IV). </p><p>In total, 41 children and young adults with MMC and without mental retardation were investigated. Study I comprised 32 children, 6-11 years. Mobility and the caregiver assistance required for mobility were quantified according to the Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) and correlation between mobility and neurological impairment, hand function and cognitive function were calculated. The results showed that nine children achieved independent mobility and that there was a moderate and significant correlation between the need for physical assistance and high cele level, impaired hand function and impaired cognitive function. In those children who used a wheelchair, only poor hand strength was significantly correlated with the need for caregiver assistance.</p><p>Study II comprised 11 children, 10-13 years, and a control group of 20 healthy children. Sitting posture was investigated by using a force plate and analysed from the frequency and the amplitude of the postural sway. The reaction forces before and during rapid arm lift were also analysed. The result showed that children with MMC had significantly lower sway frequency compared to the controls. In both groups, the ground reaction forces were registered before the children lifted their arms. Study III and IV comprised 31 children and young adults, 9-19 years and 31 matched controls. Reaching movements were investigated with a digitising tablet, linked to a computer. The ability to program and execute reaching movements was analysed and also the ability to adapt reaching to new visuomotor conditions. The results showed that the MMC group had poorer precision, less straight movements and shorter deceleration phases as compared to the controls. In both groups the movements were pre-programmed. In addition, adaptation of reaching to new visuomotor conditions was poor in the MMC group as compared to the controls. </p><p>In conclusion we found that impairments above the cele level influenced mobility and the control of sitting posture in children with MMC. Reduced precision and co-ordination of reaching, and also difficulties with motor adaptation, could partly explain thier problems with hand activities. These findings need to be considered in therapy programs for children and young adults with MMC.</p>

Children with myelomeningocele (MMC) usually have problems with daily life activities, but the background to their problems is not altogether obvious. An understanding of the possible causes of activity problems is a prerequisite for the effectiveness of physical therapy. The overall aim of the present studies was to identify impairments above the cele level, which might influence mobility in children with MMC (study I) and to analyse sitting posture (study II) and the movement characteristics of reaching movements (study III and IV). In total, 41 children and young adults with MMC and without mental retardation were investigated. Study I comprised 32 children, 6-11 years. Mobility and the caregiver assistance required for mobility were quantified according to the Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) and correlation between mobility and neurological impairment, hand function and cognitive function were calculated. The results showed that nine children achieved independent mobility and that there was a moderate and significant correlation between the need for physical assistance and high cele level, impaired hand function and impaired cognitive function. In those children who used a wheelchair, only poor hand strength was significantly correlated with the need for caregiver assistance. Study II comprised 11 children, 10-13 years, and a control group of 20 healthy children. Sitting posture was investigated by using a force plate and analysed from the frequency and the amplitude of the postural sway. The reaction forces before and during rapid arm lift were also analysed. The result showed that children with MMC had significantly lower sway frequency compared to the controls. In both groups, the ground reaction forces were registered before the children lifted their arms. Study III and IV comprised 31 children and young adults, 9-19 years and 31 matched controls. Reaching movements were investigated with a digitising tablet, linked to a computer. The ability to program and execute reaching movements was analysed and also the ability to adapt reaching to new visuomotor conditions. The results showed that the MMC group had poorer precision, less straight movements and shorter deceleration phases as compared to the controls. In both groups the movements were pre-programmed. In addition, adaptation of reaching to new visuomotor conditions was poor in the MMC group as compared to the controls. In conclusion we found that impairments above the cele level influenced mobility and the control of sitting posture in children with MMC. Reduced precision and co-ordination of reaching, and also difficulties with motor adaptation, could partly explain thier problems with hand activities. These findings need to be considered in therapy programs for children and young adults with MMC.

Professional truck drivers are highly exposed to fatigue and work related injuries. Truck drivers are common victims of musculoskeletal disorders, frequently suffering from pain symptoms particularly in the neck, shoulder and lower back. This situation is believed to be a contributor to the high absenteeism in this job category. A high percentage of this problem is due to the adoption of an unhealthy driving posture resulting from inappropriate seat design. This incorrect and poor design is owing to the insufficient and obsolete anthropometrical data which has been used for decades for arranging and positioning components in the driver environment. The main objective of the present study was to create and construct a mathematical model which clarifies and predicts the drivers’ comfortable sitting posture and position. It was hypothesized that the length and height characteristics of some body segments as well as the body weight and waist circumference of the driver have a great impact on the selection of a specific sitting posture. The steering wheel positions as well as the pedal/floor locations were hypothesized to be highly correlated to the driver’s selected posture and the corresponding comfort. The effect of the seat position on posture selection and related comfort assessments constituted the other hypothesis of the study which received extra attention. A laboratory experiment on a Scania truck cab mock-up was conducted. The seat track travel along a vertical as well as horizontal forward-backward path was obtained by mounting the seat on the motorized rigid frame which allowed unrestricted vertical and fore-aft travel. The seat cushion angle and backrest angle were adjusted by pivoting the entire seat and backrest around a lateral axis and independently. The pedal components were mounted on a motorized platform, thus allowing unrestricted fore-aft and height travel without any changes in the pedal angles. The steering wheel was mounted on the instrument panel by two independent pneumatic axes which allowed a wide range of adjustments including tilting and moving along the sagittal plane for adjusting the height and distance. The test plan called for 55 international highly experienced heavy truck drivers. The drivers were recruited to span a large range of body weight and stature, in particular to ensure adequate representation of both the extreme as well as the normal group of drivers. The drivers filled in a general information questionnaire before undergoing the anthropometrical measurements and thereafter the test trials. The experiment contained a subset of test conditions with five different trials using random selection sampling procedure. Drivers were asked to adjust the components in a wide range of trajectory according to a written protocol. A sparse set of threedimensional body landmark locations and the corresponding comfort assessments were recorded. As the main part of the result, the mathematical models using multiple regression analyses on selected body landmarks as well as anthropometrical measures were developed which proposed a linear correlation between parameters. The differences between the observed data and the corresponding predicted data using the model were found to be minimal and almost dispensable. Additionally, the drivers preferred to sit in the rearmost position and at a rather high level relative to the rest of the available and adjustable area. Considering the normal adjustable seat area of the cab, only a very small part of the observed Hpoint data lies within this area while a large remaining amount of data lies outside of it. Moreover, the difference between the observation (plotted H-point data) and the neutral H-point was found to be significant. Furthermore, and since some of the data lies almost on the border of the adjustable area, it may indicate a reasonable tendency for even more seat adjustment in the backward direction. A conceptual model consisting of four different parameters was developed and presented in the end. These parameters of the model suggest being as key factors which play a central role on process of decision making regarding the selection of a desirable sitting posture. Any eventual modifications and adjustments for elimination or minimizing discrepancies, biases or obscured factors affecting the quality of the mathematical model would be a case for future study. The investigation of a complete assessment of comfort should be supplemented with an analysis of how many truck drivers are satisfied with the comfort in the end. / QC 20100824

Title: Evaluation of wheelchair adjustments and their impact on proper propulsion pattern upper extremities and sitting posture in patients with spinal cord lesions. Objectives: The objective of this work was to evaluate the adjustments of wheelchair and to determine their impact on the work of the upper limbs and posture while sitting. This work was done on a group of patients with spinal lesions with their own wheelchairs. Another objective was to assess how education of proper propulsion pattern and form and type of a grip of handrim affects the correct propulsion pattern. Methods: In the group of 26 patients with spinal cord injuries in different levels of the spinal cord, I tested the adjusments of wheelchair, in particular the centre of gravity and maximum seat height from the ground. I also investigated what education on correct propulsion pattern the patients received, and observed any home-made adjustments to handrim, as well as patients' techniques of handrim grip. Finally, I examined how the subjects drove his/her wheelchair. During all the tests, I recorded video and photo documentation. The results were statistically evaluated using the Fisher test. Results: Despite the fact that only a small group was investigated, I showed the effect of wheelchair seatings on the correct posture. I...

Many people use the train both as a daily means of transport as well as a working place to carry out activities such as reading or writing. There are, however, several important factors in this environment that will hamper good performance of such activities. Some of the main sources of disturbance, apart form other train passengers, are noise and vibrations generated from the train itself. Although there are standards available for evaluation of ride comfort in vehicles none of them consider the effects that vibrations have on particular passengers' activities. To address these issues, three different studies were conducted to investigate how low frequency lateral vibrations influence the passengers' ability to read and write onboard trains. The first study was conducted on three types of Inter-Regional trains during normal service and included both a questionnaire survey and vibration measurements. Two proceeding laboratory studies were conducted in a train mock-up where the perceived difficulty of reading and writing was evaluated for different frequencies and amplitudes. To model and clarify how vibrations influence the processes of reading and writing the fundamentals of Human Activity Theory was used as a framework in this thesis. In the field study about 80% of the passengers were found to be reading at some point during the journey, 25% were writing by hand, and 14% worked with portable computers. The passengers applied a wide range of seated postures for their different activities. According to the standardised measurements, even the trains running on poor tracks showed acceptable levels of vibration. However, when the passengers performed a short written test, over 60 % reported to be disturbed or affected by vibrations and noise in the train. In the laboratory studies it was found that the difficulty in reading and writing is strongly influenced by both vibration frequency and acceleration amplitude. The vibration spectra of real trains were found to correspond well to the frequency characteristics of the rated difficulty. It was also observed that moderate levels of difficulty begin at fairly low vibration levels. Contextual parameters like sitting posture and type of activity also showed strong influence on how vibrations cause difficulty.