A efetividade de um programa ergonômico em idosos ativos usuários da informática

• Ano de defesa: 2007
• Autor(a) principal: Lima, João Borges de
• Orientador(a): Souza, Valdemarina Bidone de Azevedo e
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre
• Palavras-chave em Português: GERONTOLOGIA; IDOSOS; ERGONOMIA (COMPUTAÇÃO); INFORMÁTICA - ERGONOMIA; ALONGAMENTO - EXERCÍCIOS FÍSICOS; POSTURA
• Link de acesso: http://hdl.handle.net/10923/3593

Introduction: There is a technological advance concomitantly with the demographic growth of the aged population. The technological advance is perceived across the biggest use of computers in the diverse social segments and for the most different applications. Therefore, it is essential that the aged individual be inserted in this context. However, the advent of computer science has generated physical consequences in users, mainly when they use the computer for long interrupts periods. Objectives: To verify the effectiveness of an Ergonomic Program designed for aged participants of Workshop for Digital Inclusion. The specific objectives are: a) By means of a Physiotherapeutic Evaluation Protocol, to evaluate the answer of aged individuals submitted to a Ergonomic program b) to identified on the environment of the workshop of digital alphabetization, risk factors that can influence postural alterations in front of the computer; c) to evaluate the results of the application of the ergonomic program in the prevention and/or reduction of postural changes of the aged participants of the digital alphabetization workshops. Materials and Methods: The study was developed in a qualitative and quantitative approach. It was evaluated 40 elderly. A first postural evaluation was accomplished by means of a Physiotherapeutic Evaluation Protocol and photographs of elderly in front of the computer, in order to identify eventual postural deviation. After, the environment was evaluated in order to identify factors that could contribute to postural changes of elderly. Based on the finds of the first evaluation, an intervention with an Ergonomic Program was applied. The program consisted in allongue sections and ergonomic advertisement. The program was applied twice a week, during five weeks. After that, another postural evaluation protocol was done. The goniometry was also used as a parameter of effectiveness for the mobility of the cervical column and to identify complains related to the protocol application. After that the protocol was again applied during five weeks when the final evaluation was accomplished. Results: in accordance with the initial 65% of 26 women participants and 35% of 14 men had postural changes before the beginning of program. It was also observed that 57% of the totality of elderly had osteoarticular problems. The photographs analysis showed that in front of the computer, the participants adopted a kyphotic posture. It was not find any statistically significant alterations in the flexion, extention, side righ ion, righ and left rotation of cervical column movements. Related to physical complains there where no significant changes after the program phases. Conclusion: a) the ergonomic program was not effective for changing the amplitude of participants cervical movements b) the ergonomic program was effective in changing the left lateral flexion of women participants; c) the lack of seat back adjusts can be influenced functional postures adopted by the participants. So in that topic the environment had an influence on the posture in front of the computer; d) most women and men participants have lordosis. This lordosis can be related to the kyphotic posture adopted in front of the computer. e) Although it was not identified change in the posture of participants, the present study could delineate a clinical picture of the posture status of elderly computer user and did not aggravated the problems identified at the beginning of study.