• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.1135-1141
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• 2017

Stress and fatigue are general physical aspects of our daily lives. It has been shown that physical therapists have different levels of job stress and fatigue according to the type A/B behavior patterns. This study collected data from 212 physical therapists between October 28 and November 23, 2016 using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The study results showed the proportion of physical therapists with the Type A behavior patterns(TABP) was 18% greater than that of physical therapists with the Type B behavior patterns(TBBP). In this study, physical therapists with TABP were compared with physical therapists with TBBP. The results indicated that physical therapists with TABP were more inclined to experience higher levels of overall job stress and fatigue from the following stress factors: physical environment, job requirement, and job autonomy. Therefore, the stronger the tendency toward TABP, the stronger the feeling of job stress and fatigue from physical environment, job requirement, and job autonomy. Those with a tendency toward TBBP showed positive correlations between job requirement and the total job stress score; thus, the stronger the tendency toward TBBP, the stronger the feeling of overall job stress and fatigue from job requirement. This study suggests that it is necessary to manage the job stress and fatigue of physical therapists with both TABP and TBBP and to manage the job stress and fatigue of physical therapists with the type A behavioral pattern.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between physical activity and fatigue in patients with cancer. Methods: The participants of the study were 118 patients who had been diagnosed with cancer at least more than three months before at a university hospital. Physical activity was measured by IPAQ Korean version (2006), and fatigue by the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale. The collected data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Continuous physical activity overall in this study was on average $2,154.03{\pm}2,845.86$ MET, and the overall degree of fatigue of the participants was $4.47{\pm}1.80$. There were significant negative correlations between fatigue and moderate physical activity. Conclusion: The findings of the study suggested that moderate physical activity is effective for improving fatigue in cancer patients.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.139-144
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• 2013

Objective: The current study investigated a non-obtrusive measure for detecting physical fatigue based on the analysis of formant frequencies of human voice. Background: Fatigue has been considered as a main cause in industrial and traffic accidents. Therefore, it is critical to detect worker's fatigue for accident prevention. Method: After running exercises on a treadmill, participants were instructed to read a sentence and their voices were recorded under four different physical fatigue levels. Korean vowels of "아", "어", "오", "우", and "이" from the voice recorded were then used to collect formant 1 frequencies. Results: Results of separate ANOVAs showed a significant main effect of physical fatigue on formant 1 frequency of "아", "어", and "이". Furthermore, post-hoc comparisons revealed that formant 1 frequency of "아" was most sensitive to physical fatigue level employed in this experiment. Conclusion: Formant 1 frequencies of some vowels significantly decrease as the physical fatigue level increases. Application: Potential application of this study includes the development of a measure of physical fatigue state that is free from sensor attachment and requires little preparation.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2015

This paper deals with the correlation between physical fatigue and speech signals. A treadmill task to increase fatigue and a set of subjective questionnaire for rating tiredness were designed. The results from the questionnaire and the collected bio-signals showed that the designed task imposes physical fatigue. The t-test for two-related-samples between the speech signals and fatigue showed that the parameters statistically significant to fatigue are fundamental frequency, first and second formant frequencies, long term average spectral slope, smoothed pitch perturbation quotient, relative average perturbation, pitch perturbation quotient, cepstral peak prominence, and harmonics to noise ratio. According to the experimental results, it is shown that mouth is opened small and voice is changed to be breathy as the physical fatigue accumulates.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.39-43
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was to investigate the effects of unilateral muscle fatigue in knee and ankle joints on balance and gait in healthy adults. Methods: Exercise inducing muscle fatigue in the knee joint consisted of concentric and eccentric contraction of dominant knee extensors in healthy adults by using the Leg Extension Rehap exercise machine (HUR, Finland). Exercise inducing muscle fatigue in the ankle joint was composed of voluntary contractions and forced contractions of the dominant plantar flexors in healthy adults. Exercises to induce muscle fatigue in the knee and ankle joints were performed until the subject complained of fatigue or pain, the occurrence of muscle fatigue was confirmed by electromyography. We measured static and dynamic balance using the Good Balance system and gait performance by RS-scan. Results: Static and dynamic balance ability and spatial-temporal gait decreased significantly after muscle fatigue in knee and ankle joint. Conclusion: These results show that unilateral muscle fatigue of the lower extremities affected postural control and gait. Therefore, therapists and sport trainers should minimize the risks of fall and injuries related to unilateral muscle fatigue.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.487-497
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• 2002

The fatigue process of the triceps surae was evaluated during a standing heel-rise test, comparising of pre-fatigue and post-fatigue. Sixteen healthy subjects with a mean age of 22.88 years participated. The heel-rise test was performed until exhaustion, and electromyographic activity expressed as mean value and root mean square of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were calculated. The average number of heel-rise performed was 63.69$\pm$26.10. The result of this present study indicate that the EMG signal is sensitive to the different muscle fatigue. Mean value and RMS decreased significantly in after fatigue. Significant difference were found between the pre-fatigue and post-fatigue in the total subjects. But there were no significant changes in mean and RMS between the male and female during standing heel-rise test. The present results, showing decreased EMG signal in the triceps surae, could be used as reference when testing the fatigue process in different clinical conditions. Recommendations for standardization of a heel-rise test are given.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.18-28
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was designed to explore the levels of physical activity and fatigue among nurses and to identify the relationship between these variables. Methods: Participants were 89 nurses working at an intensive care unit and an operating room in a children's hospital. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires including the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Brief Fatigue Inventory. Results: Most of the nurses' physical activity was work related, and there was a significant difference according to the working unit. Nurses with higher work stress and lower job satisfaction showed higher levels of fatigue than their counterparts did. Work-related physical activity and the interference of fatigue with relationships were related positively, whereas transport and leisure time physical activity were negatively related to usual fatigue and the interference of fatigue with life enjoyment. Conclusion: The levels of physical activity and fatigue of nurses were higher than those observed among other populations. The appropriate level of physical activity for these nurses needs to be investigated carefully. Also, in the intervention for nurses' fatigue, their level of work-related and leisure-time physical activity should be considered separately, and their work environment and psychological satisfaction level should be included.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2016

Objective: Hip abductors play a role in providing stability and movement to the lower limbs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of hip abductor fatigue on static balance and gait in the general population. Design: One group pre-test post-test design. Methods: Thirteen university students in their twenties volunteered for the study and had underwent a functional assessment. To induce fatigue, the subjects were instructed to raise their dominant lower extremity up against a load of 50% of 1 repetition maximum while producing hip abduction in a side-lying position. Subjects were instructed to maintain an abduction speed of 30 repetitions per minute to induce fatigue. Muscle fatigue was considered to be established when subjects were unable to perform hip abduction three consecutive times along with the metronome. A post-test of balance and gait was performed immediately in order to prevent fatigue recovery. The center of pressure (COP) distance area was measured using the Zebris FDM-S Multifunction Force measuring plate. Gait performance was analyzed using the GAITRite. Results: The COP distance was increased after fatigue was induced. There was a significant increase in the standard deviation of the medio-lateral and antero-posteror distance (p<0.05). Although there was no significant difference in gait parameters, there was a significant decrease in single support time after fatigue was induced (p<0.05). Conclusions: There was an increase in static balance instability and a significant decrease in single support time during gait due to hip abductor muscle fatigue.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.562-569
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this longitudinal prospective study was to assess changes in fatigue and quality of life for a 6-week course of radiotherapy. Method: A descriptive and longitudinal design was used to this study. Twenty-three subjects receiving radiotherapy from a radiotherapy clinic of a general hospital completed the questionnaires. Fatigue was measured using Lee's scale(1999) and quality of life using Yang's scale(2002) weekly for 6 weeks. Result: Fatigue significantly increased(F=6.043, p=.000), and quality of life significantly decreased (F=3.938, p=.003) and physical symptoms also significantly increased(F=2.432, p=.039) during a 6-week radiotherapy. Multiple regression analysis revealed that fatigue at the first week and physical symptoms at the 6th week were the significant affecting variables(60.1% of the variance) on fatigue. And 63.2% of the variance in quality of life was explained by quality of life and fatigue at the first week and body weight change for 6 weeks radiotherapy. Conclusion: Based on these results, the fatigue and quality of life at the beginning time of radiotherapy have a lasting impact throughout the course of treatment. It suggests that nurses provide patients with information about the occurrence of fatigue during radiotherapy and the practical methods of intervening physical symptoms.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.425-429
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• 2014

Purpose: The first purpose of this study was to evaluate whether hand muscle fatigue alters sensorimotor control of the hand in healthy subjects, using hand position sense. The second objective was to assess the repositioning variables during a 7.5-min period after the fatigue protocol. Methods: Participants performed a repeated handgrip movement to induce the fatigue condition as fast as possible, until they could no longer continue. Recordings were performed before (pre-fatigue) and after the completion of the fatigue exercises (immediately: post-fatigue, after a 2.5 min recovery, after a 5 min recovery and after a 7.5 min recovery). Results: The joint reposition test of the MP joint in the post-fatigue condition showed higher reposition errors than the prefatigue condition (p<0.05). Additionally, there was a significant difference in recovery of joint reposition errors after fatiguing exercises of the hand muscle, among groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: The fatigue of the hand muscles affected joint position sense by an alteration of somatosensory and proprioceptive information. Nonetheless, the effect of hand muscle fatigue was short-lived, since joint reposition errors decreased to post-fatigue values after 7.5 min of recovery.