Conference Presentations by Ana Maximiano
Introduction: Jurmain (1999) proposed that models should be created to test the relationship betw... more Introduction: Jurmain (1999) proposed that models should be created to test the relationship between activities and their skeletal markers. The aim of this study was to use a model generated from clinical literature contemporaneous to the sample and to test its associations with skeletal changes. For this purpose, the activity tested was sewing.
Materials and Methods: The sample (n=21), selected from the Coimbra identified skeletal collection, consists of seamstresses, shoemakers and tailors, and an age and sex matched control sample of equal number. The indicators recorded were entheseal changes, degenerative joint changes, markers of occupational stress (MOS) and robusticity index (RI). The model suggests changes in the dominant side related to repetitive circular and pedalling movements associated with sewing, alongside changes associated with a hunched posture. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse bilateral asymmetry (Wilcoxon test) and the association of the indicators with occupation, age at death, sex and RI (Fisher’s exact test).
Results: Little association was found between occupation and the indicators, rather age at death and sex was more important. Bilateral asymmetry was rarely found. Specific MOS related to sewing were found in the control sample, thus the model is not supported. There was an almost non-existent association between the indicators and RI.
Discussion and Conclusions: No clear association was found between occupation and the indicators, contradicting the model. Age had a stronger association, suggesting that occupation itself is not a determining factor, whereas age and sex are. The model created is not effective or viable, since few differences were found between the samples. The use of both left and right sides in the tasks performed could explain the results of bilateral asymmetry. Similar studies, applied to a larger sample size, are needed to better understand the occupation factor in the development of the indicators.
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Conference Presentations by Ana Maximiano
Materials and Methods: The sample (n=21), selected from the Coimbra identified skeletal collection, consists of seamstresses, shoemakers and tailors, and an age and sex matched control sample of equal number. The indicators recorded were entheseal changes, degenerative joint changes, markers of occupational stress (MOS) and robusticity index (RI). The model suggests changes in the dominant side related to repetitive circular and pedalling movements associated with sewing, alongside changes associated with a hunched posture. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse bilateral asymmetry (Wilcoxon test) and the association of the indicators with occupation, age at death, sex and RI (Fisher’s exact test).
Results: Little association was found between occupation and the indicators, rather age at death and sex was more important. Bilateral asymmetry was rarely found. Specific MOS related to sewing were found in the control sample, thus the model is not supported. There was an almost non-existent association between the indicators and RI.
Discussion and Conclusions: No clear association was found between occupation and the indicators, contradicting the model. Age had a stronger association, suggesting that occupation itself is not a determining factor, whereas age and sex are. The model created is not effective or viable, since few differences were found between the samples. The use of both left and right sides in the tasks performed could explain the results of bilateral asymmetry. Similar studies, applied to a larger sample size, are needed to better understand the occupation factor in the development of the indicators.
Materials and Methods: The sample (n=21), selected from the Coimbra identified skeletal collection, consists of seamstresses, shoemakers and tailors, and an age and sex matched control sample of equal number. The indicators recorded were entheseal changes, degenerative joint changes, markers of occupational stress (MOS) and robusticity index (RI). The model suggests changes in the dominant side related to repetitive circular and pedalling movements associated with sewing, alongside changes associated with a hunched posture. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse bilateral asymmetry (Wilcoxon test) and the association of the indicators with occupation, age at death, sex and RI (Fisher’s exact test).
Results: Little association was found between occupation and the indicators, rather age at death and sex was more important. Bilateral asymmetry was rarely found. Specific MOS related to sewing were found in the control sample, thus the model is not supported. There was an almost non-existent association between the indicators and RI.
Discussion and Conclusions: No clear association was found between occupation and the indicators, contradicting the model. Age had a stronger association, suggesting that occupation itself is not a determining factor, whereas age and sex are. The model created is not effective or viable, since few differences were found between the samples. The use of both left and right sides in the tasks performed could explain the results of bilateral asymmetry. Similar studies, applied to a larger sample size, are needed to better understand the occupation factor in the development of the indicators.