Sajedah Almomani presented a poster for her proposed research titled "Assessment of Knee and Lower Back Joint Loading during Tripod Lifting Technique for Child Lifting." The tripod lifting method is recommended for reducing lower back strain in childcare educators; however, further research is needed to understand this techniques impact on knee joints and overall musculoskeletal health. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the tripod lifting technique in reducing joint loading compared to straddle and squatting techniques.
Sarah Hallman presented a poster titled "Comparing Inter-Trial Error Between Squatting and Gait." This poster highlighted Sarah's recent research targeting the knowledge gap in the variability of kinematic measures for occupational postures. The results of this study presented a higher inter-trial error/variability during squatting for childhood educators compared to their gait patterns. This work helps contribute to assessing the reliability of kinematic measures using markerless technology and develop normative variability for movements in various field professions.
Kimberly Peckett presented an oral presentation titled "Changes in Knee Biomechanics After a Childcare Shift" which highlighted a portion of her Master of Science thesis. This work aimed to determine if there were any changes in childcare educators knee mechanics during gait after a shift of occupational childcare which may be contributing to an increased risk for musculoskeletal ailments. The results of the study indicate that the childcare educators did experience a change in their knee mechanics after their work shift, with large variability in the direction and magnitude of change between workers. Future research will continue to investigate an explanation for what is happening during their day that may be contributing to the variability of change.