Effects of Kitchen Cooking Height on Upper Limb Muscle Activation, Posture, and Perceived Discomfort of Chinese Older and Young Women

Abstract

Inappropriate kitchen cooking height may lead to uncomfortable and muscle fatigue. This study aims to compare the effects of kitchen cooking height on upper limb muscle activation, posture, and perceived discomfort among different age groups. Fifteen older women and fifteen young Chinese women each completed three consecutive 20 s simulated cooking tasks at five different heights. Surface electromyography, motion capture, and Borg CR10 scale were used to measure muscle loading. Results showed that the main power muscles of the cooking task were the anterior deltoid, brachioradialis, and biceps brachii. The higher muscle contribution rate of biceps brachii and triceps brachii was found in the younger group compared to the older group (p p p < 0.05). A height of 200–250 mm below the elbow was considered a more comfortable cooking height for both age groups. This provides data to support the design of cabinet sizes.

Keywords

• kitchen cooking height
• age difference
• muscle activation
• posture analysis
• rating of perceived discomfort
• comfort