title: The predictive value of general movement tasks in assessing occupational task performance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Within the context of evaluating individuals' movement behavior it is generally assumed that the tasks chosen will predict their competency to perform activities relevant to their occupation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to examine whether a battery of general tasks could be used to predict the movement patterns employed by firefighters to perform select job-specific skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two firefighters performed a battery of general and occupation-specific tasks that simulated the demands of firefighting. Participants' peak lumbar spine and frontal plane knee motion were compared across tasks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 85% of all comparisons, the magnitude of spine and knee motion was greater during the general movement tasks than observed during the firefighting skills. Certain features of a worker's movement behavior may be exhibited across a range of tasks. Therefore, provided that a movement screen's tasks expose the motions of relevance for the population being tested, general evaluations could offer valuable insight into workers' movement competency or facilitate an opportunity to establish an evidence-informed intervention.
authors: Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Frost
authors: Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Tyson A C
authors: TA
authors: Beach
authors: Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
authors: Stuart M
authors: SM
authors: McGill
authors: Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
authors: Jack P
authors: JP
authors: Callaghan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019567:Back Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D061388:Firefighters; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D016272:Occupational Health; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: Firefighter; injury; movement screen