Louise Bæk Larsen

Head of Department
Assistant Professor Health and Care Sciences
Department of Rehabilitation , School of Health and Welfare
Prosthetist and Orthotist

Research

Louise’s research aims to investigate musculoskeletal disorders in Swedish police with focus on the use of mandatory equipment such as duty belt and body armour. An initial aim is to understand the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders while further studies will investigate factors associated to the problem. The physical and psychosocial work environment of Swedish police will be investigated through biomechanical and epidemiological studies. Of specific interest is the relative effect that wearing body armour and a duty belt has on posture during walking and sitting in a fleet car. The associations between equipment use, psychosocial work environment and musculoskeletal pain in more than two body regions are explored in a national cross-sectional study based on survey response from four thousand Swedish active duty police. The thesis work is conducted as a collaboration between The School of health science, The Police department in Jönköping and National Operations Department (NOA).

Biography

Louise Bæk Larsen has worked as a lecturer in the Prosthetics and Orthotics Bachelor program in the Department for Rehabilitation at the School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, Sweden since 2009. Louise is prosthetist /orthotist and has worked clinically in Copenhagen. She has a master’s degree in prosthetics and orthotics from 2007. Through her involvement in clinical practice, research and in teaching Louise has generated special interest for movement analysis and biomechanics.

Article

Eliasson, K., Nyman, T., Tranberg, R., Larsen, L. (2024). A user-centred development process for an equipment vest for the Swedish police force International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 11(1), 56-77. More information
Larsen, L., Ramstrand, N., Fransson, E. (2019). Psychosocial job demand and control: multi-site musculoskeletal pain in Swedish police Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 47(3), 318-325. More information
Larsen, L., Ramstrand, N., Tranberg, R. (2019). Duty belt or load-bearing vest? Discomfort and pressure distribution for police driving standard fleet vehicles Applied Ergonomics, 80, 146-151. More information
Larsen, L., Elgmark Andersson, E., Tranberg, R., Ramstrand, N. (2018). Multi-site musculoskeletal pain in Swedish police: associations with discomfort from wearing mandatory equipment and prolonged sitting International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 91(4), 425--433. More information
Elgmark Andersson, E., Larsen, L., Ramstrand, N. (2017). A modified Job Demand, Control, Support model for active duty police Work: A journal of Prevention, Assessment and rehabilitation, 58(3), 361-370. More information
Larsen, L., Tranberg, R., Ramstrand, N. (2016). Effects of thigh holster use on kinematics and kinetics of active duty police officers Clinical Biomechanics, 37, 77-82. More information
Ramstrand, N., Zügner, R., Larsen, L., Tranberg, R. (2016). Evaluation of load carriage systems used by active duty police officers: Relative effects on walking patterns and perceived comfort Applied Ergonomics, 53(Part A), 36-43. More information
Ramstrand, N., Larsen, L. (2012). Musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace: perceptions of Swedish police International Journal of Police Science and Management, 14(4), 334-342. More information

Doctoral thesis

Larsen, L. (2018). Factors related to musculoskeletal disorders in Swedish police (Doctoral thesis, Jönköping: Jönköping University, School of Health and Welfare). More information

Report

Larsen, L., Elgmark Andersson, E., Tranberg, R., Ramstrand, N. (2014). Jämförande studie av Svensk polis rörelseförmåga vid användandet av bål och/eller bäcken fixerad utrustning. Jönköping: Hälsohögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping More information
Elgmark Andersson, E., Larsen, L., Tranberg, R., Ramstrand, N. (2014). Psykosociala aspekter. Jönköping: Hälsohögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping More information
Tranberg, R., Zügner, R., Larsen, L., Ramstrand, N. (2014). Jämförande studie av Svensk polis rörelseförmåga vid användandet av bål och/eller bäcken fixerad utrustning. Göteborg: Västra Götalandsregionen More information
Elgmark Andersson, E., Larsen, L., Tranberg, R., Ramstrand, N. (2013). Fysiska aspekter. Jönköping: Hälsohögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping More information