STANDING WORKING POSTURE COMPARED IN PREGNANT AND NONPREGNANT CONDITIONS

During pregnancy, an increase in body weight occurs together with chan ges in body weight distribution and in fit between body dimensions and workplace layout. These changes may cause alterations in working post ure which may, in turn, have adverse consequences for the biomechanica l load on the musculoskeletal system and so increase the risk of muscu loskeletal disorders. Using photographic posture registration, the sta nding working posture was studied in 27 women during the last stage of pregnancy and after delivery (the experimental group). The women perf ormed an assembly task while standing at various workplace layouts. Th e postural differences between the pregnant condition and the non-preg nant condition were studied and the effect of the various workplace la youts assessed. Ten non-pregnant controls were also studied twice to e stablish the effect of the time interval between the measuring occasio ns. We found that the women of the experimental group stood further fr om the work surface in the pregnant condition compared to the non-preg nant condition, the hips were positioned more backwards, and, in order to reach the task, they increased the flexion of the trunk, increased the anteflexion of the upper arms, and extended the arms more. At the workplace layout in which the work surface height was self-selected, the postural differences due to pregnancy were smallest or even absent , compared to the postural differences in the other workplace layouts studied. Ergonomists and workers in occupational health services shoul d be alert to the consequences for the biomechanical load on the muscu loskeletal system and the risk of development of health complaints cau sed by postural changes due to pregnancy. An adjustable workplace layo ut may prevent some problems.