Leg Volume Changes During Standing Work: Effects of Posture, Flooring Surface, Insole Use, and Individual Characteristics

Background: Standing work is common across a wide range of industries and service settings and has been associated with changes in leg volume. Objective: To analyze changes in leg volume across eight experimental scenarios integrating posture, flooring surface, insole use, and individual characteristics associated with standing work. Methods: A controlled (23) factorial experiment was conducted across eight experimental scenarios. Thirty volunteers participated in a 120 min simulation of standing work while performing a light manual task. Leg measurements were obtained, and leg volume was calculated. Results: Static posture and body weight increase leg volume, whereas greater height is associated with lower leg volume. Conclusions: Leg volume increased across all experimental scenarios during the 120 min exposure period. The results suggest that dynamic posture involving movement greater than 20 cm at least every 5 min, together with reducing uninterrupted standing time, may help reduce increases in leg volume.