PT Journal AU Pope, DP Silman, AJ Cherry, NM Pritchard, C Macfarlane, GJ TI Validity of a self-completed questionnaire measuring the physical demands of work SO Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health PD 10VL PY 1998 BP 376 EP 385 IS 5 DI 10.5271/sjweh.358 WP https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=358 DE epidemiology; ergonomics; musculoskeletal pain; observation; physical workload SN 0355-3140 AB '

'

OBJECTIVES ': 'This study determined the accuracy of workers in quantifying occupational physical demands on a self-administered questionnaire.

'

'

METHODS ': 'First, a self-administered questionnaire on work postures, manual materials-handling, and repetitive upper-limb movements was validated using direct simultaneous observations for 123 randomly selected employees from 6 occupational settings. Second, weight estimation accuracy was assessed on visual analogue scales for 6 manual materials-handling activities using 20 randomly selected employees from 1 occupational setting.

'

'

RESULTS ': 'At a dichotomous level (ever-never), the accuracy of most of the self-reported physical demands was good (sensitivity 60-100%; specificity 56-100%). A more-detailed analysis of the dimensions studied (frequency, duration and amplitude) also showed that the accuracy of the self-reported estimates was satisfactory. Full agreement between the estimated and observed frequency was >60% for most of the manual materials-handling activities. In addition the average difference between the estimated and observed duration of the physical demands was found to be small. Finally the average difference between the self-reported and actual weights of various loads was found to be modest.

'

'

CONCLUSION ': 'The self-reported questionnaire used in this study would provide a useful instrument for estimating occupational physical demands and the frequency, duration, and amplitude of these demands in future epidemiologic studies associated with musculoskeletal pain.

ER