Effectiveness of Ergonomic Intervention
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00791596 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : November 14, 2008
Last Update Posted : November 14, 2008
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Low Back Pain Neck Pain Upper Extremity Lower Extremity | Other: Ergonomic Intervention | Phase 4 |
A non-randomized, crossover trial design was used with follow-up repeated 6, 12, and 30 months from baseline in the first intervention period and then beginning at 6 months following the crossover.
The administrative offices in the two main buildings of the town hall of Forlì, Italy.
The study population was composed of 400 employees, who used VDTs for at least 20 hours a week, of whom we randomly selected 100 participants from each building. Of the 200 initial participants, 153 completed the study; the dropouts were due to illness/injury or maternity.
Participants were assigned to intervention or control during the first period and then crossed over after a 30-month washout. The intervention used in this investigation was an ergonomic adjustment of the VDT workstation design.
Our study showed that the workstation ergonomic adjustment improved work-related posture and in reducing LBP in VDT operators among subjects who received the intervention both in the first period and in the crossover, and maintained these positive effects for at least 30 months.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 200 participants |
Allocation: | Non-Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Crossover Assignment |
Masking: | Single (Investigator) |
Primary Purpose: | Prevention |
Official Title: | Effectiveness of an Ergonomic Intervention on Work-Related Posture and Low Back Pain in Video Display Terminal Operators: a 3 Year Cross-Over Trial |
Study Start Date : | January 2005 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | June 2005 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | December 2007 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: 1
The first Arm received the intervention between baseline and the first follow-up, whereas the second Arm was the Control group
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Other: Ergonomic Intervention
The intervention used in this investigation was an ergonomic adjustment of the VDT workstation design
Other Name: Preventive Intervention of Musculoskeletal Disorders |
Experimental: 2
The second Arm received the intervention between the third and the fourth follow-up, whereas the first Arm was the Control group
|
Other: Ergonomic Intervention
The intervention used in this investigation was an ergonomic adjustment of the VDT workstation design
Other Name: Preventive Intervention of Musculoskeletal Disorders |
- R.E.B.A. (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) method [ Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 30 months, 36 months ]
- Pain Drawing with a Visual Analogue Scale [ Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 30 months, 36 months ]

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 70 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- The study population was composed of 400 employees, who used VDTs for at least 20 hours a week
Exclusion Criteria:
- Subjects were excluded if pregnant or had a medical history of serious injury, spinal surgery, malignant pathology, or severe disability

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00791596
Italy | |
University of Bologna | |
Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, 40138 |
Principal Investigator: | Paolo Pillastrini, MSc | University of Bologna |
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | Paolo Pillastrini, University of Bologna |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00791596 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
PP001012008 |
First Posted: | November 14, 2008 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | November 14, 2008 |
Last Verified: | October 2008 |
Ergonomic intervention Musculoskeletal disorders Low back pain Posture Video display terminal |
Back Pain Low Back Pain Neck Pain Pain Neurologic Manifestations |