Lilia Roselia Prado-León

Music–color associations are mediated by emotion

Experimental evidence demonstrates robust cross-modal matches between music and colors that are mediated by emotional associations. US and Mexican participants chose colors that were most/least consistent with 18 selections of classical orchestral music by Bach, Mozart, and Brahms. In both cultures, faster music in the major mode produced color choices that were more saturated, lighter, and yellower whereas slower, minor music produced the opposite pattern (choices that were desaturated, darker, and bluer). There were strong correlations (0.89 < r < 0.99) between the emotional associations of the music and those of the colors chosen to go with the music, supporting an emotional mediation hypothesis in both cultures. Additional experiments showed similarly robust cross-modal matches from emotionally expressive faces to colors and from music to emotionally expressive faces. These results provide further support that music-to-color associations are mediated by common emotional associations.

Anthropometric study of Mexican primary school children

This paper presents the results of an anthropometric survey conducted on male and female Mexican primary school children age 6-11 years in the metropolitan area of the city of Guadalajara. A set of 50 body dimensions was taken based on international standards. The sample consisted of 4758 children (boys and girls). The anthropometric measurements were compared to those of American, Cuban and Mexican children. The results indicate that the body dimensions of Mexican children from this study are different from those of American, Cuban, and other Mexican children, probably due to ethnic differences and the time lapse between the different studies. It is considered that the 50 parameters are necessary for the design of school furniture, fittings and equipment in order to minimize musculoskeletal, visual, and circulatory problems resulting from using those badly designed elements.

Stress and musculoskeletal discomfort among hydrocarbon industry workers in Mexico.

This study of 114 workers in the hydrocarbon industry was conducted to identify the relationship between stress and musculoskeletal discomfort, and to view the roles played by such factors as age, schooling, obesity, workplace and job seniority. All factors except seniority were found to affect the presence of musculoskeletal discomfort in some area of the body.

Magnitude of Low Back Pain, Occupation, Education, and Economic Level in Mexican Workers

The objective of this investigation was to describe the magnitude of low back pain in workers with lumbar spondyloarthrosis and determine occupational and socio-demographic factors related to the disorder. A cross-sectional, comparative survey was made of 231 (77 cases and 154 controls) Mexican workers affiliated with the Mexican Institute of Social Security. Demographic data, workplace, and the section of the Nordic Questionnaire corresponding to back problems were collected. The cases demonstrated that the disorder had presented itself at a young age and in most of them, the LBP was intermittent and chronic. The lumbar symptoms had developed over a long period of time up to 20 years, including accumulated periods of disability totaling up to 5 years. The prevalence of pain in these cases was 83% (64). The occupations which presented the greatest differences in distribution between cases and controls were those of workers handling merchandise and materials, drivers, and members of the nursing profession. Scholarship and salary were protective factors (odds ratio (OR) = 0.17, IC95% 0.03–0.09, and OR 0.36, IC95% 0.1–0.8). Low back pain is a problem with serious repercussions in Mexico at personal and socioeconomic levels. The results suggest that the higher education and socioeconomic level a person has, the low the probability will be of developing lumbar spondyloarthrosis. Occupations which implicitly include heavy lifting and fixed sitting with vibration were those which demonstrated the most relevant difference between the two groups.

Experiences in the Development and Implementation of an Academic Master Degree in Ergonomics in Mexico

Due to increasing demands for ergonomists and to the scarcity of educational offers in this field in Mexico over the last 15 years, an Ergonomics Master degree was created at the University of Guadalajara. Based on a national market survey, on a review of the requirements of professional certification agencies in ergonomics in USA and Europe, and on a review of the program contents of ergonomics master’s degrees in other countries, the conceptual structure of the areas of knowledge and application of the discipline lead to a two-year study program designed with two specializing orientations: Design Ergonomics and Occupational Ergonomics. After some time, 90% of the students enrolled in the courses of both orientations, so it was decided to merge the two orientations, both successful today. Graduates have been able to find jobs in universities and educational institutions, and in companies and industries from the region. The program consists of 22 courses with a total of 1,100 contact hours, 308 h of after-school study and 200 h for the development of a thesis. The courses cover the essential aspects of Physical Ergonomics, Cognitive Ergonomics and Organizational Ergonomics. Visiting professors with a high academic profile teach several of the courses, from countries such as the U.S., Spain, Brazil, UK, and Chile.

Low Back Pain Risk Factors: An Epidemiologic Review

In the area of human-factors engineering (ergonomics), various ergonomic factors associated with Low Back Pain (LBP) are mentioned constantly. From this perspective the problem is conceptualized as a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) of mainly occupational origin, among whose principal causes are repeated trauma ocurring over a long period of time. So this concept excludes injuries caused by acute or instantaneous trauma. In the United States, the cost of occupational injuries and illnesses exceeds

Occupational driving as a risk factor in low back pain: a case-control study in a Mexican population

170 billion annually (Occupational Safety & Health Administration 2004). Mexico lacks of precise data regarding the impact of these problems, but according to data from the family medicine units of Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) for the year 2010, back pain ranked seventh among reasons for consulting a doctor nationwide. This literature review aims to identify occupational and non-occupational ergonomic factors and to develop a comprehensive model for the etiology of LBP. Thirty-two epidemiologic articles, from 1992 on, provided evidence regarding the relationship between LBP and risk factors—individual, psychological, socioeconomic and occupational—considered in this chapter.