[Measurement of energy expenditure in a group of construction workers during work]

The aim of this study is to show the results obtained from measuring energy expenditure (EE) during work in a group of male construction workers through a new portable device of practical use and low cost. The instrument consists of an electronic bracelet multisensor system for measuring EE, which is called Armband Sensewear Pro2 and is produced by Body Media. The disposal has 5 steel hypoallergenic sensors which detect the skin and the near body temperature, the environment temperature, the electrical skin conductance, and an internal two axes accelerometer which detects the transverse and longitudinal acceleration. The analysis of these parameters through software allows you to derive the individual EE. The study describes the results obtained by applying Armband to a group of 10 construction workers performing the following jobs: bricklayer, tiler, crane driver and "rock climber". The results allow to assess and confirm the high EE related to the work of the subjects enrolled in the study. In conclusion the authors argue that Armband, already validated experimentally in several areas of Medicine, can be a useful tool available to the Occupational Physician, in order to determine the EE for workers who perform heavy tasks, such as those that exist in the construction industry, which are characterised by high levels of EE and poor reproducibility of tasks. Moreover, Armband appears to be an useful tool in connection with the dual possibility on the one hand to assess fatigue related to certain skills and jobs, and on the other side to contribute to the metabolic evaluation of cardiac patients during rehabilitation at work.