Workstyle in office workers: ergonomic and psychological reactivity to work demands.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether variation in work demands are related to keyboard force, postural change, cognitive reactivity, physiological arousal, and work output in asymptomatic office workers who varied in workstyle.


METHODS
Eighty asymptomatic office workers prescreened for level of workstyle (high = 39, low = 41) were enrolled in this study. Participants were exposed to a high- and low-demand work task and biomechanical, physiological, and psychological reactivity were measured.


RESULTS
Results indicate that the high workstyle group demonstrated elevated keyboard force (F[1, 74] = 3.99, P < 0.05), greater awkward posture (F[1, 69] = 4.80, P < 0.05), more negative mood changes (F[1, 73] = 10.70, P < 0.01), and more negative work-related cognitions (F[1, 73] = 4.99, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Asymptomatic office workers with higher levels of self-reported adverse workstyle responded to a manipulation of work demands with greater psychological and biomechanical strain.
Harrington
Cherise B
CB
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Feuerstein
Michael
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016287:Computer Peripherals; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D011187:Posture; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult