A quantitative meta-analytic examination of whole-body vibration effects on human performance

Whole-body vibration exerts a substantive influence in many work environments. The primary objective for this work was to quantify such effects by identifying those moderating variables that influencethe degree to which performance is affected. To achieve this, a comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted, which synthesized the existing research evidence, A total of 224 papers and reports were identified and, from these 115 effect sizes were derived from 13 experiments that survived the screening procedure. Results indicate that vibration acts to degrade the majority of goal-related activities, especially those with high demands on visual perception and fine motor control. Gaps in the current research literature are dentified and suggestions offered with regard to a more theoretically-driven approach to testing vibration effects on human performance.