Occupational physical demands in eldercare workers: a systematic scoping review of studies reporting quantitative...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Biomechanics
• Gerontology

Background:

• Eldercare roles involve significant physical demands, impacting worker health.
• Quantitative data on these physical demands are crucial for understanding occupational risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review quantitative measures of physical demands in eldercare.
• To compare demands between temporary and permanent eldercare workers.
• To identify research gaps in physiological studies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed.
• Included English and Swedish peer-reviewed studies on eldercare physical demands.
• Assessed risk of bias and extracted descriptive data.

Main Results:

• 37 studies used self-report, biomechanical modeling, or direct measurement.
• Workers reported high physical demands (40-98%); models showed high spinal loads (up to 5092 N).
• Direct measures indicated prolonged standing (50-66% of day) and moderate cardiovascular load (HR 89-107 bpm).

Conclusions:

• Eldercare work is perceived as demanding with high spinal loads but low cardiovascular strain.
• Findings support further research into physiological impacts and interventions.
• Future studies should differentiate between settings and worker types (permanent/temporary).