Physical Work Demands of Childcare Workers in Denmark: Device-Based Measurements and Workplace Observations Among 199 Childcare Workers from 16 Day Nurseries

Holtermann, Andreas; Hendriksen, Peter Fjeldstad; Schmidt, Kathrine Greby; Svendsen, Malene Jagd; Rasmussen, Charlotte Diana Nørregaard

doi:10.1093/annweh/wxaa041

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Briefly, the procedures comprise four steps: (1) assessing the current work situation and its potential for change, (2) assessing the status of the workers and their potential for change, (3) specifying health-related goal(s), and (4) reorganizing or modifying current work tasks according to the Goldilocks principle to meet the goal(s) [ 12 ]. We retrieved evidence from two childcare institutions participating in a previous study by our research group [ 23 ]. Based on this knowledge and a dialogue with childcare workers and managers, we identified what constituted a regular workday, including identifying main work tasks, and where different activities occurred.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We retrieved evidence from two childcare institutions participating in a previous study by our research group [ 23 ]. Based on this knowledge and a dialogue with childcare workers and managers, we identified what constituted a regular workday, including identifying main work tasks, and where different activities occurred.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, there is a potential for improving their health through workplace initiatives focusing on health promotion. Childcare workers are reported to have large variation between physical activity behaviors at work, but also to sit for almost half of their working hours, and have almost no time with HIPA [ 22 , 23 ]. Thus, re-designing childcare work to promote HIPA could show a great potential for improving the cardiorespiratory fitness and health of the workers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Can Childcare Work Be Designed to Promote High Intensity Physical Activity for Improved Fitness and Health? A Proof of Concept Study of the Goldilocks Principle

Lerche

Vilhelmsen

Schmidt

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Childcare workers are reported to have high variation in physical activity during work hours, but also to sit for about half of the workday and have almost no high intensity physical activity (HIPA). No study has investigated if their work can be re-designed to introduce HIPA, thus promoting fitness and health according to the Goldilocks principle. This study investigated the feasibility of designing pedagogical games (‘Goldilocks-games’) intended to lead to more HIPA. Heart rate was measured in nineteen childcare workers during Goldilocks-games, and compared to measurements during a regular workday. Worker perceptions of feasibility, and researcher observations of contextual factors were also collected. The Goldilocks-games (33 min) elicited significantly more HIPA (18/33 min) compared to the most active period of equal length on a regular workday (0.5/33 min). Seventy-four-percent of the childcare workers reported that it was feasible to integrate the Goldilocks-games pedagogically, and seventy-two-percent could see themselves using them. Thus, we found it possible to re-design a work task in childcare according to the Goldilocks principle so that it leads to substantial time with HIPA. The sustainability of Goldilocks-games in childcare, and their effectiveness in improving fitness and health among childcare workers, needs to be tested in further studies.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Can Childcare Work Be Designed to Promote High Intensity Physical Activity for Improved Fitness and Health? A Proof of Concept Study of the Goldilocks Principle

Lerche

Vilhelmsen

Schmidt

et al. 2020

IJERPH

Self Cite

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“…Bold reference numbers indicate that the study, in addition of arm posture, also includes trunk posture (and/or velocity). References Sensor Type Angular Velocity Computational Method Posture Type of Work Publishing Year Country of Data Collection [ 12 , 31 , 38 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ] accelerometers only - arm, arm and trunk [ 31 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ] field 2004–2020 Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Brazil, North America, Australia [ 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ] accelerometers only arm (inclination velocity) arm field 2008–2013 Norway, USA [ 13 , 14 , …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Sensor Types and Angular Velocity Computational Methods in Field Measurements of Occupational Upper Arm and Trunk Postures and Movements

Fan

Lind

Rhén

et al. 2021

Sensors

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Accelerometer-based inclinometers have dominated kinematic measurements in previous field studies, while the use of inertial measurement units that additionally include gyroscopes is rapidly increasing. Recent laboratory studies suggest that these two sensor types and the two commonly used angular velocity computational methods may produce substantially different results. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the effects of sensor types and angular velocity computational methods on the measures of work postures and movements in a real occupational setting. Half-workday recordings of arm and trunk postures, and movements from 38 warehouse workers were compared using two sensor types: accelerometers versus accelerometers with gyroscopes—and using two angular velocity computational methods, i.e., inclination velocity versus generalized velocity. The results showed an overall small difference (<2° and value independent) for posture percentiles between the two sensor types, but substantial differences in movement percentiles both between the sensor types and between the angular computational methods. For example, the group mean of the 50th percentiles were for accelerometers: 71°/s (generalized velocity) and 33°/s (inclination velocity)—and for accelerometers with gyroscopes: 31°/s (generalized velocity) and 16°/s (inclination velocity). The significant effects of sensor types and angular computational methods on angular velocity measures in field work are important in inter-study comparisons and in comparisons to recommended threshold limit values.

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“…Research on the health of childcare workers is limited [ 2 ]. Most occupational studies of childcare workers have investigated traditional ergonomics risk factors such as time spent with forward bent back and kneeling/squatting [ 13 ], lifting of children or heavy objects, or time working in awkward postures [ 14 ]. Moreover, the limited knowledge available is often based on self-reports, which are known to be imprecise and potentially biased [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does Childcare Work Promote Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health? A Cross-Sectional Study of Danish Childcare Workers Based on Accelerometry and Heart Rate Measurements

Schmidt

Kildedal

Lerche

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Childcare workers are reported to have poor cardiorespiratory fitness and health. The Goldilocks Work Principle argues that productive work should be designed with the right composition, intensity and alternations of physical behaviors so that workers get fit and healthy. The purpose of this study was to investigate: (1) composition, (2) intensity and (3) alternations of physical behaviors during work and leisure among childcare workers. Data were collected using accelerometers and heart rate monitors over five workdays among 51 childcare workers at five Danish childcare institutions. Workers mainly spent their work time sedentary (43.0%), spent little time (0.7%) at sufficiently high cardiometabolic intensity to increase cardiorespiratory fitness and often alternated between physical behaviors (67.0% occurred in bouts of <5 min). These findings indicate that the workers have a composition of behaviors at work dominated by sedentary time, little time with high cardiometabolic intensity, and frequent alternations between behaviors. During leisure, workers spent more time sedentary (59.4%), more time at high cardiometabolic intensity (3.4%) and less time occurred in bouts <5 min (38.7%). We see a potential for promoting cardiorespiratory fitness and health of childcare workers by redesigning the way they play with the children, so that work time with high cardiometabolic intensity is increased.

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Physical Work Demands of Childcare Workers in Denmark: Device-Based Measurements and Workplace Observations Among 199 Childcare Workers from 16 Day Nurseries

Cited by 11 publications

References 30 publications

Can Childcare Work Be Designed to Promote High Intensity Physical Activity for Improved Fitness and Health? A Proof of Concept Study of the Goldilocks Principle

Can Childcare Work Be Designed to Promote High Intensity Physical Activity for Improved Fitness and Health? A Proof of Concept Study of the Goldilocks Principle

Effects of Sensor Types and Angular Velocity Computational Methods in Field Measurements of Occupational Upper Arm and Trunk Postures and Movements

Does Childcare Work Promote Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health? A Cross-Sectional Study of Danish Childcare Workers Based on Accelerometry and Heart Rate Measurements

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