Roberta Bonfiglioli MD is Associate Professor of Occupational Medicine at the University of Bologna and Staff physician at the Unit of Occupational Medicine, Sant’Orsola Malpighi University Hospital in Bologna.
Her research interests include diagnosis and prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and peripheral neuropathy, occupational risk factors in the health care setting. More recent research focuses on wearable sensors for assessing biomechanical exposure and human-cobot interaction.
Prof. Bonfiglioli has been Chair of the “Scientific Committee on Musculoskeletal Disorders” of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) for the triennium 2018-2021, Chair of the Emiliano-Romagnola branch of the Italian Society of Occupational Medicine 2019-2024 and currently degree program Director -First Cycle Degree Program in Environment and Workplace Prevention Techniques at the University of Bologna.
EDUCATION
1995 Postgraduate Specialty Diploma in Occupational Health (summa cum laude), University of Bologna.
1991 State exam for Medical Doctors
1991 M.D. in Medicine and Surgery (summa cum laude), University of Bologna
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
87
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Occupational health and safety Roberta Bonfiglioli, Nataliia Danilevskaia, Francesco Roccuzzo Interpreters Health and Wellbeing an Overview Across Modes Modalities and Settings, 2026 This chapter provides an overview of basic concepts of occupational health and psychology as a subset of general health and wellbeing. It deals with job-analysis, hazard identification, prevention, work demands, stress and anxiety. Those concepts are applied to the interpreting professionals by addressing the main work-related psychological, physical, and social factors, including time pressure, indoor environmental conditions, inadequate equipment, intense cognitive and emotional demands. The results of a literature review show that interpreters experience challenges such as working with vulnerable populations like refugees, migrants, and medical patients. Therefore, burnout, vicarious trauma and a sense of emotional isolation are frequently reported. Sign language interpreting may also overload the musculoskeletal tissues of the upper limb, while conference interpreting has been related to hearing and vocal strain. In addition to identifying emerging risk factors due to new modes of work, the chapter discusses the importance of preventive strategies including ergonomic workplace design, proper work-rest cycles, emotional and social support, supervision, and targeted training aimed at yielding effective coping mechanisms and long-term wellbeing in this highly demanding profession.
Criteria for Assessing Exposure to Biomechanical Risk Factors: A Research-to-Practice Guide—Part 2: Upper Limbs Francesca Graziosi, Roberta Bonfiglioli, Francesco Decataldo, Francesco Saverio Violante Life, 2025 Musculoskeletal disorders are the most prevalent occupational health problem and are often related to biomechanical risk factors. Over the last forty years, observational methods for exposure assessment have been proposed. To apply them effectively in the field, an in-depth knowledge of each methodology and a solid understanding of their actual predictive value and limitations are required. In this two-part guide, we discuss methods that have a solid scientific background, are based on expert consensus, and that do not require disproportionate technical, material, financial, and time resources. In Part 1, we focused on the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation as a validated method for assessing manual material handling and discussed its application when dealing with task variability. In Part 2, we look at methods for the assessment of upper-limb biomechanical exposure in manual jobs. According to the above-mentioned criteria, we discuss methodologies proposed by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and evaluate activities requiring high-speed continuous movement and the use of hand force, working with the arms above the shoulder level, to prevent localized fatigue in the upper extremities in cyclical work tasks. Finally, a preliminary proposal of a proportionate risk assessment of working duration in part-time jobs is presented.
Influence of Weekly Working Hours on Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Associated with Biomechanical Factors Francesco S. Violante, Francesca Graziosi, Yohama Caraballo-Arias, Francesco Decataldo, Roberta Bonfiglioli Iise Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors, 2025 OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSAssessing individual risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) associated with biomechanical factors requires a comprehensive evaluation of various occupational parameters, including weekly working time. Our results provide compelling evidence suggesting a positive linear correlation between weekly working hours and the risk of MSDs, a finding observed across various job categories and anatomical regions. This correlation suggests that reducing work hours, including implementing reduced work schedules or part-time employment, may offer potential benefits for MSDs prevention. However, to more comprehensively understand the complex relationship between weekly working hours and MSDs development, rigorous longitudinal studies are essential. These studies would provide valuable insight into the temporal dynamics of MSDs risk and allow for a more nuanced assessment of the long-term health effects of different work schedules. Such evidence will better equip occupational health professionals and policymakers to develop effective, evidence-based strategies for MSDs prevention and promote healthier work environments.
An Integrated Platform to Assess Neuromechanics of Human-Robot Collaboration Convegno Nazionale Di Bioingegneria, 2025
Criteria for Assessing Exposure to Biomechanical Risk Factors: A Research-to-Practice Guide—Part 1: General Issues and Manual Material Handling Francesca Graziosi, Roberta Bonfiglioli, Francesco Decataldo, Francesco Saverio Violante Life, 2024 Musculoskeletal disorders are the most prevalent occupational health problem all over the world and are often related to biomechanical risk factors; to control these risk factors, several assessment methods (mostly observational) have been proposed in the past 40 years. An in-depth knowledge of each method to evaluate biomechanical risk factors is needed to effectively employ them in the field, together with a robust understanding of their effective predictive value and limitations. In Part 1, some general issues relevant to biomechanical risk assessment are discussed, and the method for assessing manual material handling after receiving more robust validation data is reviewed (Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation), together with a discussion about variability of tasks. Similarly, for the assessment of the biomechanical exposure of the upper limb, the TLV for Hand activity (ACGIH®) is presented in Part 2 of this guide, together with criteria to proportion risk assessment to the working duration in part-time jobs.
MEDIATING EFFECT OF BURNOUT DIMENSIONS ON MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN: THE ROLE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANISATIONAL IDENTIFICATION Giulia Paganin, Roberta Bonfiglioli, Dina Guglielmi, Francesco S. Violante, Greta Mazzetti Informing Science, 2023 Aim/Purpose: The present study aims to frame the relationship between job and personal resources (namely, organizational identification and emotional intelligence), burnout, and musculoskeletal disorders (i.e., back pain, upper limb pain, lower limb discomfort), into the theoretical framework provided by the JD-R health model. Background: Empirical research indicates a connection between burnout and the onset of musculoskeletal problems, one of the most important occupational health issues affecting all jobs and organizations. In light of the JD-R health model, we investigated the association between personal and job resources with burnout and musculoskeletal disorders. Methodology: An anonymous online questionnaire was answered by 320 workers (82.4% female, Mage = 42.18; SDage = 12.24) investigating their perceived level of burnout, the presence of musculoskeletal pain (back, neck, and shoulder), and their level of organizational identification and emotional intelligence. Descriptive analysis, correlation, and moderated mediation model were performed using SPSS. Contribution: We confirmed the role of personal and organizational resources in the salutogenic process considered by the JD-R health model. Emotional intelligence, decreasing the perceived level of burnout, limited the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Moreover, when organizational identification presented low and medium levels, the association between emotional intelligence and burnout strengthened. Findings: Our results showed a negative, indirect effect of emotional intelligence on musculoskeletal disorders via burnout. Moreover, we found a moderation of organizational organization, indicating that at low and medium levels of identification, the association between emotional intelligence and burnout is stronger. Recommendation for Researchers: In addition to work factors involved in the link between burnout and musculoskeletal disorders, it is also important to consider personal and emotional factors, which can decrease the occurrence of adverse consequences. Future Research: Future research developments could contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms linking emotional intelligence, burnout, and musculoskeletal problems, as well as consider objective indicators of burnout levels or consider using ecological data collection methodologies (e.g., ecological momentary assessment), to identify patterns and associations between burnout and musculoskeletal disorders.
Determinants of anti-S immune response at 6 months after COVID-19 vaccination in a multicentric European cohort of healthcare workers – ORCHESTRA project Giulia Collatuzzo, Giovanni Visci, Francesco S. Violante, Stefano Porru, Gianluca Spiteri, Maria Grazia Lourdes Monaco, Francesca Larese Fillon, Corrado Negro, Christian Janke, Noemi Castelletti, Giuseppe De Palma, Emanuele Sansone, Dana Mates, Silvia Teodorescu, Eleonóra Fabiánová, Jana Bérešová, Luigi Vimercati, Silvio Tafuri, Mahsa Abedini, Giorgia Ditano, Shuffield S. Asafo, Paolo Boffetta, and Frontiers in Immunology, 2022 BackgroundThe duration of immune response to COVID-19 vaccination is of major interest. Our aim was to analyze the determinants of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titer at 6 months after 2-dose vaccination in an international cohort of vaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs).MethodsWe analyzed data on levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike antibodies and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of 6,327 vaccinated HCWs from 8 centers from Germany, Italy, Romania and Slovakia. Time between 1st dose and serology ranged 150-210 days. Serological levels were log-transformed to account for the skewness of the distribution and normalized by dividing them by center-specific standard errors, obtaining standardized values. We fitted center-specific multivariate regression models to estimate the cohort-specific relative risks (RR) of an increase of 1 standard deviation of log antibody level and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI), and finally combined them in random-effects meta-analyses.ResultsA 6-month serological response was detected in 99.6% of HCWs. Female sex (RR 1.10, 95%CI 1.00-1.21), past infection (RR 2.26, 95%CI 1.73-2.95) and two vaccine doses (RR 1.50, 95%CI 1.22-1.84) predicted higher IgG titer, contrary to interval since last dose (RR for 10-day increase 0.94, 95%CI 0.91-0.97) and age (RR for 10-year increase 0.87, 95%CI 0.83-0.92). M-RNA-based vaccines (p<0.001) and heterologous vaccination (RR 2.46, 95%CI 1.87-3.24, one cohort) were associated with increased antibody levels.ConclusionsFemale gender, young age, past infection, two vaccine doses, and m-RNA and heterologous vaccination predicted higher antibody level at 6 months. These results corroborate previous findings and offer valuable data for comparison with trends observed with longer follow-ups.
Elbow tendinopathy and occupational biomechanical overload: A systematic review with best-evidence synthesis Stefania Curti, Stefano Mattioli, Roberta Bonfiglioli, Andrea Farioli, Francesco S Violante Journal of Occupational Health, 2021 Objectives To evaluate the evidence of an association between occupational and non-occupational exposure to biomechanical risk factors and lateral elbow tendinopathy, medial elbow tendinopathy, and olecranon bursitis. Methods We carried out a systematic review of the literature. We searched MEDLINE (up to November 2019) and checked the reference lists of relevant articles/reviews. We aimed to include studies where (a) the diagnosis was based on physical examination (symptoms plus clinical signs) and imaging data (if any); and (b) the exposure was evaluated with video analysis and/or direct measurements. A quality assessment of the included studies was performed along with an evaluation of the level of evidence of a causal relationship. Results We included four studies in the qualitative synthesis: two prospective cohorts and two cross-sectional studies. All the included studies investigated “lateral/medial epicondylitis”, albeit the diagnosis was not supported by imaging techniques. Two cohort studies suggested that a combination of biomechanical risk factors for wrist/forearm is associated with increased risk of “lateral epicondylitis”. This association was not observed in the two included cross-sectional studies. The cohort studies suggested that a Strain Index score higher than 5 or 6.1 could double the risk of “lateral epicondylitis”. No association with increased risk of “medial epicondylitis” was observed. Conclusions There is limited evidence of a causal relationship between occupational exposure to biomechanical risk factors and lateral elbow tendinopathy. For medial elbow tendinopathy, the evidence is insufficient to support this causal relationship. No studies on olecranon bursitis and biomechanical overload were identified.
Differences in the association between the 2018 ACGIH TLV for Hand Activity and carpal tunnel syndrome by gender and age. C Harris-Adamson, A Meyers, R Bonfiglioli, J Kapellusch, AM Dale, M Thiese, N Fethke, EA Eisen, S Bao, B Evanoff, K Hegmann, F Gerr, FS Violante, D Rempel Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2021 The recently revised ACGIH TLV for Hand Activity (TLV2018) is a widely used tool for assessing risk for upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this analysis was to compare the strength of the exposure-response relationships between the TLV2018 and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) between men and women and across age strata. Heterogeneity of the effect size by sex or age would be important to specialists using the method for prevention of CTS among working populations. Data from two large prospective studies were combined to allow for stratification of exposure-response models assessing the association between the TLV2018 and CTS by gender and age. Results show greater risk for women than men and for younger workers than older workers for TLV2018 values above the action limit. Although the TLV2018 is an effective surveillance tool for estimating increased risk of CTS with increasing exposure, these analyses show that such increase are not homogeneous across sex and age.
Is age more than manual material handling associated with lumbar vertebral body and disc changes? A cross-sectional multicentre MRI study Francesco S Violante, Maurizio Zompatori, Piero Lovreglio, Pietro Apostoli, Francesco Marinelli, Roberta Bonfiglioli BMJ Open, 2019 ObjectiveConflicting evidence exists to what extent manual material handling (MMH) causes lumbar disc disease, lack of evidence exist that this effect takes place especially at L5-S1 level, where the greatest moment occurs. The aim was to assess if lumbar vertebral body and disc changes are more common in people whose job involves significant MMH and, if so, to evaluate if lumbar vertebral body and disc changes are more prevalent in the lower part of the lumbar spine (L4-L5 and L5-S1).DesignObservational, cross-sectional, with quasi-random recruitment.SettingOutpatient radiology units of three large hospitals in northern (Bologna and Brescia) and southern (Bari) Italy.Participants183 consecutive adult subjects (89 males, 94 females) aged 20–70 years referred by the general practitioner or a specialist for MRI of the lumbar spine.Primary and secondary outcome measuresNeuroradiologists (blind to clinical assessment) evaluated the prevalence of intervertebral disc and vertebral body changes in standardised MRI examinations. History of personal and family musculoskeletal diseases and injuries, current and previous MMH at work and during leisure time were assessed by interview and self-administered questionnaire.ResultsParticipants were classified according their occupational exposure to MMH. No association was found between MMH and vertebral body and intervertebral disc changes, whereas age over 45 years was consistently associated with more disc extension beyond the interspace changes, Pfirrmann changes, osteophytes and Modic changes: the association was statistically significant at the conventional 5% level.ConclusionsAge, and not MMH, seems to primarily affect the presence of intervertebral disc changes; prospective studies are needed to better explore the relationship between MMH and the possible presence (and level) of lumbar vertebral body and/or disc changes.
Health and work in a gender perspective Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2017
Gender-sensitive risk assessment and health medical surveillance: Some operative tools Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2017
Knee osteoarthritis in a chestnut farmer – Case report Stefano Mattioli, Francesca Graziosi, Stefania Curti, Roberta Bonfiglioli, Antonio Argentino, Francesco Violante Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 2017
"Health surveillance" of workers: Open a discussion on its theoretical bases and application methods Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2016
Micronuclei and chromosome aberrations in subjects occupationally exposed to antineoplastic drugs: a multicentric approach Massimo Moretti, Maria Giuseppa Grollino, Sofia Pavanello, Roberta Bonfiglioli, Milena Villarini, Massimo Appolloni, Mariella Carrieri, Laura Sabatini, Luca Dominici, Laura Stronati, Giuseppe Mastrangelo, Anna Barbieri, Cristina Fatigoni, Giovanni Battista Bartolucci, Elisabetta Ceretti, Francesca Mussi, Silvano Monarca International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2015
Management of workers with shoulder disorders Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2014
Health surveillance and fitness: Role of the occupational physician in support of work ability Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2014
Occupational risks in grocery stores Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2014
Risk assessment for upper extremity work related muscoloskeletal disorders by applying six methods of ergonomic: A ten years experience Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2014
[Management of the worker affected by shoulder pathology] Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2014
[Occupational risks in grocery stores] Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2014
[Health surveillance and suitability: the role of the company physician in maintaining work ability] Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2014
The effect of a multimodal group programme in hospital workers with persistent Low Back Pain: A prospective observational study Medicina Del Lavoro, 2013
Risk assessment of biomechanical overload of the limbs and spine in workers paving roads with stones Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2012
Risk assessment of biomechanical overload of limbs and spine in "workers employed on stone paving roads, using a combination of different methods Medicina Del Lavoro, 2012
A case report of vibration-induced hand comorbidities in a postwoman Stefano Mattioli, Francesca Graziosi, Roberta Bonfiglioli, Giuseppe Barbieri, Sandra Bernardelli, Luciano Acquafresca, Francesco S Violante, Andrea Farioli, Mats Hagberg BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 2011
COMMUNITY: Project proposal for a multicentric study on musculoskeletal comorbidity among nursing personnel Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2010
Physical exertion (lifting) and retinal detachment among people with myopia Stefano Mattioli, Rocco De Fazio, Eva Buiatti, Davide Truffelli, Francesca Zanardi, Stefania Curti, Robin M. T. Cooke, Alberto Baldasseroni, Barbara Miglietta, Roberta Bonfiglioli, Giorgio Tassinari, Francesco S. Violante Epidemiology, 2008
Usefulness of surface electromyography of hand muscles in the assessment of myoelectric parameters changes due to repetitive manual tasks Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 2007
Criteria for the case definition of upper limb musculoskeletal diseases in the occupational setting Medicina Del Lavoro, 2007
Relationship between symptoms and instrumental findings in the diagnosis of upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders Medicina Del Lavoro, 2007
Carpal tunnel syndrome and manual work: A longitudinal study Francesco S. Violante, Thomas J. Armstrong, Cristiana Fiorentini, Francesca Graziosi, Alessandro Risi, Silvia Venturi, Stefania Curti, Francesca Zanardi, Robin M. T. Cooke, Roberta Bonfiglioli, Stefano Mattioli Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2007
Occupational (and non-occupational) risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders Medicina Del Lavoro, 2006
