Performance of physical tasks in pregnancy.
Two hundred women in the third trimester of a first pregnancy were interviewed, and 50 of them were interviewed again at 4 months post partum. They were asked whether they experienced greater current difficulty in performing 46 common tasks than they did before pregnancy and were asked to grade their responses. Additional information concerning specific factors affecting each activity, such as discomfort and fatigue, was obtained, together with data concerning socioeconomic status and stress perception. The data were analysed to identify the activities whose performance was most and least affected by pregnancy, indicating that the pregnant condition affects perceived difficulty of performance in many activities. Although some activities are not amenable to ergonomic intervention, the study highlighted some in which equipment design and selection could improve the match between a task and the pregnant.
Nicholls
J A
JA
Anatomy Department, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, UK.
Grieve
D W
DW
D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D016526:Workload