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Training Caregivers to Reduce Spine Flexion Using Biofeedback

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Advances in Human Factors in Training, Education, and Learning Sciences (AHFE 2019)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 963))

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Abstract

Back injuries caused by poor postures are very common among home caregivers. Real-time biofeedback may be helpful for training caregivers to use safer patterns of movement. Twenty novice caregivers repeated a series of simulated care tasks to investigate the effectiveness of biofeedback in decreasing time spent in end-of-range spine flexion. Participants in the intervention group (n = 10) received real-time auditory biofeedback when their forward spine flexion exceeded a threshold during training trials, while participants in the control group (n = 10) did not. All participants returned after two weeks to repeat the care tasks and perform a new skill transfer task (sling insertion). The intervention group maintained decreased end-of-range (80th and 95th percentile) spine flexion after two weeks during care tasks compared to controls, but there was no difference between groups with the new skill transfer task. Biofeedback has good potential for reducing spine flexion but training does not transfer to new tasks.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, 500 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5R 2A2, Canada

    Megan Kamachi, Mohammadhasan Owlia & Tilak Dutta

  2. Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Rosebrugh Building, 1604 Room 407, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada

    Megan Kamachi & Tilak Dutta

Authors
  1. Megan Kamachi
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  2. Mohammadhasan Owlia
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  3. Tilak Dutta
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Megan Kamachi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    Waldemar Karwowski

  2. Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    Tareq Ahram

  3. Institute of Maritime Operations, University College of Southeast Norway, Borre, Norway

    Salman Nazir

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Kamachi, M., Owlia, M., Dutta, T. (2020). Training Caregivers to Reduce Spine Flexion Using Biofeedback. In: Karwowski, W., Ahram, T., Nazir, S. (eds) Advances in Human Factors in Training, Education, and Learning Sciences. AHFE 2019. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 963. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20135-7_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20135-7_24

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-20134-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-20135-7

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