Assessment of the Posture of Adults at Their Workplace

Abstract

Introduction: “Body mechanics” is a term used to describe the ways we move and go about in our lives. It includes how we hold our body while sitting, standing, lifting, bending, carrying, or moving. Poor body mechanics can often lead to poor body posture, back pain, and related discomfort. Workers in industries and offices are exposed to various types of risk factors such as lifting heavy items, bending, reaching overhead, pushing and pulling heavy loads, working in awkward body postures, and performing the same or similar tasks repetitively, causing morbidity. Taking care of the back is a lifelong project, and use of proper body mechanics is an effective way to maintain health and fitness of the back. Objective: To assess the posture of adults at their workplace with an aim to develop a health education package on body mechanics. Methodology: Non-experimental descriptive design was used for the study. The study was conducted among 50 subjects from various organizations at Kurali, Punjab. Sociodemographic data sheet and an observation checklist were used to observe the body mechanics practices of the subjects. Results: The findings of the study revealed that 27 (54%) subjects had good body mechanics practices, 17 (34%) had average practices, whereas 6 (12%) had poor body mechanics practices. Conclusion: Only half of the workers were practicing good body mechanics; hence, there is a need to educate the workers regarding good practices.