Activity–rest schedules in physically demanding work and the variation of responses with age
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Standard
In: Ergonomics , Vol. 55, No. 3, 03.2012, p. 282-294.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Activity–rest schedules in physically demanding work and the variation of responses with age
AU - Kakarot, Nadine
AU - Müller, Friedrich
AU - Bassarak, Claudia
PY - 2012/3
Y1 - 2012/3
N2 - Workers in physically demanding occupations require work breaks to recover from exertion. In a laboratory setting, we investigated the impact of ergometer cycling for 7 h in two conditions with an identical total break time but with two different activity-rest schedules. We hypothesised that more frequent but shorter breaks lead to less psychophysical strain and its effects than do less frequent but longer breaks, particularly for older workers. Twenty-nine participants representing three different age groups were tested in both conditions. Heart rate, perceived exertion/tension and feelings of fatigue were assessed and used as dependent variables. Results indicate no general activity-rest differences as well as no age-related differences of break effects under the condition of subjectively equal straining load. However, heart rate was found to be lower at some measurement points in the frequent-short-break condition and perceived exertion was lower in the infrequent-long-break condition. Practitioner Summary: Design of activity-rest schedules in physically demanding occupations is a key issue in the prevention of strain and hence of interest to ergonomists. Our study suggests that breaks during physically demanding work have the same effect if they are frequent and short or infrequent and long, regardless of age.
AB - Workers in physically demanding occupations require work breaks to recover from exertion. In a laboratory setting, we investigated the impact of ergometer cycling for 7 h in two conditions with an identical total break time but with two different activity-rest schedules. We hypothesised that more frequent but shorter breaks lead to less psychophysical strain and its effects than do less frequent but longer breaks, particularly for older workers. Twenty-nine participants representing three different age groups were tested in both conditions. Heart rate, perceived exertion/tension and feelings of fatigue were assessed and used as dependent variables. Results indicate no general activity-rest differences as well as no age-related differences of break effects under the condition of subjectively equal straining load. However, heart rate was found to be lower at some measurement points in the frequent-short-break condition and perceived exertion was lower in the infrequent-long-break condition. Practitioner Summary: Design of activity-rest schedules in physically demanding occupations is a key issue in the prevention of strain and hence of interest to ergonomists. Our study suggests that breaks during physically demanding work have the same effect if they are frequent and short or infrequent and long, regardless of age.
KW - Business psychology
KW - activity–rest schedules
KW - physical work
KW - perceived exertion
KW - aging workforces
KW - Älterer Arbeitnehmer
KW - wahrgenommene Anstrengung
KW - körperliche Tätigkeit
KW - Arbeits-Pause-Rhytmus
KW - activity-rest schedules
KW - aging workforces
KW - heart rate
KW - perceived exertion
KW - physical work
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859190582&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00140139.2011.639906
DO - 10.1080/00140139.2011.639906
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 22273280
VL - 55
SP - 282
EP - 294
JO - Ergonomics
JF - Ergonomics
SN - 0014-0139
IS - 3
ER -