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Are There Sex Differences in Wrist Velocity and Forearm Muscle Activity When Performing Identical Hand-Intensive Work
Gunilla Dahlgren1,2, Per Liv3, Fredrik Öhberg4
1Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 13, 2025
Summary
Women performing hand-intensive tasks experience higher muscle activity and less recovery time than men. Risk assessments must consider sex-specific differences to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Ergonomics
- Biomechanical Engineering
Background:
- Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in upper extremities are more prevalent in women than men, particularly in hand-intensive occupations.
- Current occupational risk assessments often lack sex-specific considerations, potentially overlooking differential exposures.
- Understanding sex-based differences in biomechanical load is crucial for effective MSD prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare objective measures of wrist joint velocity and forearm muscle activity between male and female workers performing identical hand-intensive tasks.
- To investigate potential sex differences in biomechanical exposures during occupational tasks.
- To inform sex-specific risk assessment strategies for preventing work-related MSDs.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-eight female-male pairs performed one of eighteen standardized hand-intensive on-site tasks.
- Wrist angular velocity was quantified using wearable inertial measurement units.
- Forearm muscle activity was measured using surface electromyography, normalized to maximal voluntary electrical activation (MVE), and analyzed for percentiles and muscle recovery time.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in wrist angular velocity percentiles between sexes.
- Female workers exhibited significantly higher muscle activity (1.3 to 2.8 times) compared to male workers.
- Women spent significantly less time in muscle recovery (< 0.5 %MVE) than men.
Conclusions:
- Despite similar wrist velocities, female workers experience greater muscle exertion and reduced recovery during hand-intensive tasks.
- Current risk assessment methods may underestimate occupational risks for women due to a lack of sex-specific analysis.
- Prioritizing sex-specific assessments, particularly for women, is essential for comprehensive protection against work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
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