Thermographic differences due to dynamic work tasks on individuals with different obesity levels: a preliminary study

ABSTRACT

The current study aims at testing whether skin temperatures (Tskin) changes are sensitive to work conditions during lifting tasks. The second goal of this work is to analyse possible differences in Tskin changes across individuals with different obesity levels. By applying IRT imaging this study considered 29 participants with different obesity levels, for a repetitive lifting task between floor and shoulders height with a periodicity of 7 seconds up to 2 minutes. Thermal images were registered across 16 Regions Of Interest (ROI) (divided into body anterior and posterior views). Data analysis was performed from the temperatures differential, calculated as the algebraic difference between Tskin measured before and after the task. This Tskin difference presented statistical evidence (p < 0.05 for all ROI), with a decrease after the task. The average Tskin decrease of the 8 ROI for anterior view was 0.33(±0.08)ºC and for posterior view was 0.51(±0.08)ºC, being an indicator of muscular overload increased. Results show a relation between the obese participants and the presence of higher cooling in the ROI studied. These outcomes corroborate that obesity is a WRMSD risk factor and also provides evidence that IRT can be a useful tool to assess the participants’ biomechanics performance.

KEYWORDS:

• Thermography
• ROI
• skin temperature
• biomechanical overload
• obesity
• lifting task

Acknowledgments

The authors want to acknowledge the work of the participants, who volunteered to participate in this experimental study.

Disclosure statement

In accordance with Taylor & Francis policy and my ethical obligation as a researcher, I am reporting that I have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia within the Project Scope: [UID/CEC/00319/2019].

Notes on contributors

Ana Colim

Ana Colim has a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering and an MSc in Human Engineering from the University of Minho (Portugal). She is an Invited Professor on Ergonomics and Human Factors at the Department of Production and Systems, School of Engineering at the University of Minho. She currently develops her scientific research at the Algoritmi Centre (University of Minho). Her areas of scientific interest are Biomechanics, Applied Ergonomics, Occupational Safety, and Hygiene.

Pedro Arezes

Pedro Arezes is a Full Professor on Human Factors Engineering at the University of Minho, Portugal, and a visiting scholar at MIT and Harvard University. He coordinates the Ergonomics & Human Factors research group at the Algoritmi Centre (University of Minho). He has been working and publishing in several domains of Occupational Health and Safety, Human Factors and Ergonomics. Pedro is also the Program Director of the Ph.D. program in Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Paulo Flores

Paulo Flores holds a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Minho (2005). He is currently Full Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Centre for MicroElecttroMechanical Systems (CMEMS-UMinho) at University of Minho. Paulo Flores is Editor-In-Chief of the journal Mechanism and Machine Theory and Associate Editor of the other several journals. The main research interests of Paulo Flores are the theory of machines and mechanisms, dynamics of multibody systems, biomechanics, medical devices, contact-impact in mechanical systems and higher education.

Ricardo Vardasca

Ricardo Vardasca holds a Ph.D. degree in Medical Informatics and a BSc (hons) in Information Technology from the University of South Wales (UK). He currently is a Senior researcher at University of Porto, External Professor at the U. Valencia and visiting fellow at U. South Wales. He currently serves as general secretary of the European Association of Thermology. Since 2017 he is an Accredited Senior Imaging Scientist and Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. He is also a member of the committee ISO/TC121/SC3-IEC62D/JWG8, Project Team 9 on Screening Thermographs.

Ana Cristina Braga

Ana Cristina Braga (Chemical Engineer, MSc in Probability and Statistics, Ph.D. in Applied Statistics). Currently, she is Assistant Professor at the Department of Production and Systems, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Portugal. She is responsible for curricular units at first and 2nd cycle of studies in the area of Applied Statistics. She is responsible for Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Engineering in Ph.D. programs in Engineering. From 2004 to 2011 was Invited Professor in several Masters of Dental Medicine. She carries out its scientific activity in Applied Statistics at the Algoritmi Centre in the same university. Her research interest is in developing high impact statistical methods and useful, easy-to-use tools for application in bioinformatics, industry, and medicine with a particular focus on genetics and dentistry. Scientific supervisor, in the area of Applied Statistics of 10 Ph.D. projects (7 concluded). One of these projects is in industrial context. She is co-author of more than 75 indexed publications.