Equal task, equal exposure? Are men and women with the same tasks equally exposed to awkward working postures?

The aim of the study was to determine whether men and woman with equal tasks perform these tasks in the same way. Video recordings of 37 male and 43 female workers in six task groups were observed, from which data regarding frequency and duration of exposure to awkward postures were derived. These data were also compared to self-reported exposures. The results showed that when level, duration and frequency of exposure were analysed at the same time, men and women had slightly different exposure patterns. However, these differences were not found when duration and frequency were analysed separately. From the questionnaires it appeared that men and women generally report similar exposures, but they seemed to over-report their exposure compared to the observed exposures. It is concluded that gender differences in exposure to awkward postures within the same task were small at most and cannot explain the female excess in musculoskeletal symptoms.