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The impact of remote work using mobile information and communication technologies on physical health: a systematic review.

Konstantin WechslerStephanie GriemsmannBritta WeberRolf Ellegast
Published in: Ergonomics (2024)
Remote e-working with information and communication technology (ICT) has long been on the rise, with its implementation accelerated by mandatory working from home regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic. This systematic literature review summarises the influencing factors of ICT-based remote e-working (device types, duration of use, user interfaces, etc.) on the physical health (musculoskeletal system and eyes) of knowledge workers. A search in four electronic databases and a manual search in four German journals resulted in 21 articles being included in this review. A bias analysis was conducted for all articles. Unfavourable postures, inappropriate working devices and certain environmental factors may cause a range of physical complaints, even after comparably short periods of time. Mostly, these complaints are greater compared to those experienced when working on a fully equipped stationary computer. Therefore, remote e-working requires careful planning, awareness, and the willingness to embrace working situations that counteract these problems.
Keyphrases
  • mental health
  • healthcare
  • public health
  • physical activity
  • health information
  • primary care
  • randomized controlled trial
  • machine learning
  • deep learning
  • risk assessment
  • social media