Can Ergonomic Interventions in Knowledge-Based Companies Improve Musculoskeletal disorders, Alter Job Contents, or Increase Quality of Work-Life and Productivity? A Quasi-Randomized Control Trial

Abstract

Background: Today, white-collar workers endure a variety of job stress. These factors can cause musculoskeletal problems, threaten aspects of occupational health, and reduce productivity. This study aimed to examine the effect of ergonomic training interventions on the musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), job contents, work-life quality, and productivity in knowledge-based companies. Materials & Methods: This study was conducted using quasi-randomized control trial method in 2019-2020. Four groups were included in the study: Ergonomics training, management training, combined interventions, and control group. The participants included 311 office workers who were randomly divided into four groups. Outcome measures were measured in follow-up periods. Repeated-measure ANOVAs was employed to analyze the results. Results: Interventions performed on neck (P=0.001), right shoulder (P=0.001), left shoulder (P=0.002), and right upper extremity (P<0.025) were associated with significant improvements in MSDs. The interventions significantly increased the control and social support (P=0.001), though they did not affect the psychological demands. The quality of work-life increased significantly in the first month of follow-up, but the long-term trend showed a decline. Conclusions: Combined interventions significantly increased absolute presenteeism. Simultaneous implementation of individual and managerial ergonomics revealed a greater impact on reducing MSDs and a broader impact on job content and presenteeism.