Effectiveness of Ergonomic Intervention - Full Text View

Purpose

This Research study aims to investigate the long term effectiveness of a workstation ergonomic intervention for work-related posture and low back pain (LBP) of Video Display Terminal (VDT) workers

Condition	Intervention	Phase
Low Back Pain Neck Pain Upper Extremity Lower Extremity	Other: Ergonomic Intervention	Phase 4


Study Type:	Interventional
Study Design:	Allocation: Non-Randomized Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment Masking: Single Blind (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

Resource links provided by NLM:

MedlinePlus related topics: Back Pain

U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by University of Bologna:

Primary Outcome Measures:

R.E.B.A. (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) method [ Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 30 months, 36 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Pain Drawing with a Visual Analogue Scale [ Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 30 months, 36 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]


Enrollment:	200
Study Start Date:	January 2005
Study Completion Date:	December 2007
Primary Completion Date:	June 2005 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Arms	Assigned Interventions
Experimental: 1 The first Arm received the intervention between baseline and the first follow-up, whereas the second 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
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

Detailed Description:

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.

Eligibility


Ages Eligible for Study:	18 Years to 70 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:	Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	No

Criteria

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

Contacts and Locations

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00791596

Locations


Italy
University of Bologna
Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, 40138

Sponsors and Collaborators

University of Bologna

Investigators


Principal Investigator:	Paolo Pillastrini, MSc	University of Bologna

More Information

Publications:

Pillastrini P, Mugnai R, Farneti C, Bertozzi L, Bonfiglioli R, Curti S, Mattioli S, Violante FS. Evaluation of two preventive interventions for reducing musculoskeletal complaints in operators of video display terminals. Phys Ther. 2007 May;87(5):536-44. Epub 2007 Apr 3.

Additional publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):

Pillastrini P, Mugnai R, Bertozzi L, Costi S, Curti S, Guccione A, Mattioli S, Violante FS. Effectiveness of an ergonomic intervention on work-related posture and low back pain in video display terminal operators: a 3 year cross-over trial. Appl Ergon. 2010 May;41(3):436-43. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2009.09.008. Epub 2009 Oct 23.


Responsible Party:	Paolo Pillastrini, University of Bologna
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00791596 History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers:	PP001012008
Study First Received:	November 13, 2008
Last Updated:	November 13, 2008
Health Authority:	Italy: Ethics Committee

Keywords provided by University of Bologna:


Ergonomic intervention Musculoskeletal disorders Low back pain Posture Video display terminal

Additional relevant MeSH terms:


Back Pain Low Back Pain Nervous System Diseases	Neurologic Manifestations Pain Signs and Symptoms

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on February 27, 2015