Physiological and psychological burden of workers by satellite navigation labor management

Labor management based on satellite navigation systems such as Global Positioning System (GPS) have become popular. To investigate the stress caused by GPS labor management system, we studied its physiological and psychological impacts of the use of management system in nursing home workers. In 10 healthy labors, ambulatory ECG with 3-axis accelerograms were recorded during working hours on 4 days with similar work schedules; GPS system was used on 2 days (GPS+) and not used on the other 2 days (GPS−). Anxiety was assessed by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory performed on the second days of GPS+ and GPS−. While the use of GPS labor management system caused no difference in physical activity or anxiety scores, it decreased heart rate and increased parasympathetic indices of heart rate variability during both acting and resting periods. While classical fight-or-flight type stress response is accompanied by sympathetic activation and parasympathetic withdrawal, inescapable stress situations cause a sustained alert response, which is accompanied by parasympathetic activation and bradycardia. The autonomic responses observed under GPS system may be consistent with those with the sustained alert response.