Purpose
High intensity occupational physical activity (OPA) seem to aggravate health and increase risk of sick leave and early retirement. Most intensity of OPA monitoring has been self-reported, e.g. by rating of perceived exertion (RPE). However, no studies have investigated the precision and risk of bias in RPE reporting during free-living OPA. This study investigated the agreement between OPA intensity in percentage of the heart rate reserve (%HRR) estimated from RPE and device-measured heart rate (HR), and potential bias factors on this agreement.

Methods
The CR10 scale measured RPE at work. The Actiheart monitor measured HR during 24-h a day for 2–4 days. Both RPE and device-worn HR were converted to %HRR. The difference between both %HRR and their limits of agreement was determined in a Bland Altman plot. To detect bias factors, the difference between both %HRR was regressed on age, sex, cardiorespiratory fitness, occupational lifting, medication, consequences of musculoskeletal disorders and the interactions between these factors with device-work %HRR.

Results
Six hundred and twenty-three participants were included in the analysis. Mean difference between RPE-based and device-worn %HRR was 54.6% (SD 19.5). The limits of agreement were wide (11.6–90.1%HRR). Age (0.48%HRR, 95% CI 0.18–0.79) occupational lifting (9.84%HRR, 95% CI 3.85–15.83) and cardiorespiratory fitness (0.41%HRR, 95% CI 0.03–0.79) significantly biased the agreement between the estimations of OPA intensity.

Conclusion
RPE overestimated OPA intensity, and was biased by several factors. Device-worn %HRR should be preferred when evaluating OPA intensity among workers with physically demanding jobs.

Direct Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-04920-8

Journal: European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2022 Mar 10:1-9.

Keywords: deterioration, Heart Rate, occupational physical activity, rate of perceived exertion, rating of physical work strain, workplace,

Applications: Heart Rate,

CamNtech Reference: AH22007

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