Occupational Biomechanical Exposures

Two experts independently rated average exposure intensity or frequency across a full workday for each occupational group. The selected biomechanical exposures were rated from low or none to high on a three-point scale. The study selected eight biomechanical exposures from a cohort-specific job-exposure matrix because prior research linked them to osteoarthritis. A self-reported questionnaire added exposure data on heavy lifting, non-neutral working postures, and kneeling for a subgroup. The selected biomechanical exposures included kneeling, heavy lifting, back loading, extreme trunk postures, static non-neutral lumbar postures, climbing, and whole-body vibration.