Influence of Pregnancy on Lifting Capacity

Nellie Buckley

doi:10.25918/thesis.297

Introduction Many pregnant women are employed in occupations that require lifting. Remaining active during pregnancy is likely to lead to health benefits for mother and child, even if the activity involves occupational exposures, such as lifting (NHS Plus et al., 2009). To overcome the unnecessary limiting of lifting during pregnancy that could occur by following lifting guidelines established for the 5th percentile of the population (MacDonald et al., 2013), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have called for the assessment of a woman’s lifting ability to inform the best clinical judgement regarding occupational lifting in each case (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2020). However, the lifting capacity of pregnant women is largely unknown. Aim To assess the lifting capacity of pregnant and postpartum women, compare it with that of nonpregnant women and identify the predictive individual characteristics. Method The EPIC Lift Capacity Test measured safe and dependable lifting capacity across three ranges of motion and at two frequencies. Physiological and psychophysical responses to the lift capacity test were recorded. Personal characteristics were recorded through self-report surveys. Regression analysis identified the individual characteristics that contribute significantly to the prediction of lifting capacity. Results The lifting capacity of pregnant and postpartum women was approximately 30% lower than that of the nonpregnant women sampled. However, the lifting capacity of pregnant and postpartum women is similar to that demonstrated in the normative data for women aged 30-39, that is, an average lifting capacity of 16 kilograms. Longitudinally, on average lifting capacity decreased by approximately 20% from 24 to 36 weeks gestation. At 12 weeks postpartum, lifting capacity had not fully returned to the level observed at 24 weeks gestation. The strongest predictive factor for lifting capacity is a woman’s perceived lifting capacity, accounting for 27% of unique variance. A woman’s leisure-time physical activity level in the past 3 months also contributes significantly to her lifting capacity, accounting for 5% of unique variance. Conclusions Pregnant and postpartum women’s lifting capacity can be safely assessed using an incremental psychophysical methodology. Healthcare professionals’ best clinical judgement regarding lifting during pregnancy may be informed by a woman’s perceived lifting capacity and leisure-time physical activity level. The lifting capacity of healthy pregnant women appears to decline during pregnancy due to psychophysical factors. The lower lifting capacity of postpartum women indicates that musculoskeletal function has not recovered from its pregnancy adaptations by 12 weeks postpartum.

Influence of Pregnancy on Lifting Capacity

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Influence of Pregnancy on Lifting Capacity

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