Musculoskeletal Pain, Musculoskeletal Strain, Sedentary Lifestyle
Conditions
Brief summary
The aim of this study is to combat the growing global health issue of sedentary behavior and the associated health consequences of prolonged sitting in the workplace. The population of desk-based workers makes up a relatively large population and are an important target for this health promoting initiative with a focus on improving posture, encouraging movement, and fostering a more active and healthy business community. It's important to recognize that occupational therapy practitioners can contribute to community health promotion/disease prevention programs by the skill-set of practitioners to understand habits and routines that influence the adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviors.
Interventions
DEVICEErgotron WorkFit - TL
A sit to stand work station.
Sponsors
West Virginia University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Participants must spend \> 50% of their work day seated at the computer * Participants must be primarily English speaking * Participants must work within the Health Sciences Center building at West Virginia University
Exclusion criteria
* Participants who are less than 18 years of age * Participants who are not primarily English speaking * Participants who spend \<50% of their work day seated at the computer * Participants who do not work within the Health Sciences Center building at West Virginia University * Participants who are pregnant
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months | 3 months | Three scales were compiled 1) aches and pains, 2) discomfort and 3) interference due to aches and pains. All three scales included 9 questions centered on the occurrence in body regions, including the neck, shoulder, upper and lower back, upper arms, forearm/wrist, hip, thigh, and knee/lower leg. Aches and Pains was on a 5 point scale, from 1) Never to 5) Several Times a Day. Uncomfortable was on a 4 point scale, ranging from 0) No Discomfort to 3) Very Uncomfortable. Interference was on a 4 point scale from 0) Not a problem to 3) Substantially interfered. Higher scores indicated more problems in each of these areas. |
| Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months | 6 months | Three scales were compiled 1) aches and pains, 2) discomfort and 3) interference due to aches and pains. All three scales included 9 questions centered on the occurrence in body regions, including the neck, shoulder, upper and lower back, upper arms, forearm/wrist, hip, thigh, and knee/lower leg. Aches and Pains was on a 5 point scale, from 1) Never to 5) Several Times a Day. Uncomfortable was on a 4 point scale, ranging from 0) No Discomfort to 3) Very Uncomfortable. Interference was on a 4 point scale from 0) Not a problem to 3) Substantially interfered. Higher scores indicated more problems in each of these areas. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort at Work at 3 Months and 6 Months All Groups Combined | Beginning of study, 3 months, and 6 months (end of study) | The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire consists of three scales that were compiled 1) aches and pains, 2) discomfort and 3) interference due to aches and pains. All three scales included 9 questions centered on the occurrence in body regions, including the neck, shoulder, upper and lower back, upper arms, forearm/wrist, hip, thigh, and knee/lower leg. Aches and Pains was on a 5 point scale, from 1) Never to 5) Several Times a Day. Uncomfortable was on a 4 point scale, ranging from 0) No Discomfort to 3) Very Uncomfortable. Interference was on a 4 point scale from 0) Not a problem to 3) Substantially interfered. Higher scores indicated more problems in each of these areas. |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| 30 Minute Group roup members will be required to alternate periods of sitting and standing every 30 minutes throughout their workday using the sit to stand workstation.
Ergotron WorkFit - TL: A sit to stand work station. | 6 |
| 60 Minute Group roup members will be required to alternate periods of sitting and standing every 60 minutes throughout their workday using the sit to stand workstation.
Ergotron WorkFit - TL: A sit to stand work station. | 6 |
| 90 Minute Group roup members will be required to alternate periods of sitting and standing every 90 minutes throughout their workday using the sit to stand workstation.
Ergotron WorkFit - TL: A sit to stand work station. | 6 |
| Total | 18 |
Withdrawals & dropouts
| Period | Reason | FG000 | FG001 | FG002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Study | Lost to Follow-up | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Overall Study | Withdrawal by Subject | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | 30 Minute Group | 60 Minute Group | Total | 90 Minute Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aches/Pains | 2.54 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.84 | 2.26 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.55 | 2.28 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.67 | 2.06 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.64 |
| Aches/Pains Interfere with Work | 1.39 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.51 | 0.90 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.29 | 1.16 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.45 | 1.19 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.46 |
| Age, Continuous | 53.4 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.36 | 41.67 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.11 | 45.06 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.62 | 41.5 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.15 |
| Employment Full-Time | 5 Participants | 6 Participants | 17 Participants | 6 Participants |
| Employment Part-Time | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Income 30-60K | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Income < 30K | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 2 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Income 60-90K | 1 Participants | 2 Participants | 3 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Income 90+K | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Income Did not report | 3 Participants | 3 Participants | 11 Participants | 5 Participants |
| Marital Status Cohabitating | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Marital Status Divorced | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 2 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Marital Status Married | 3 Participants | 2 Participants | 10 Participants | 5 Participants |
| Marital Status Single | 1 Participants | 3 Participants | 5 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Marital Status Widowed | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Number of Days Worked Per Week | 5 number of days worked/week STANDARD_DEVIATION 0 | 5 number of days worked/week STANDARD_DEVIATION 0 | 5 number of days worked/week STANDARD_DEVIATION 0 | 5 number of days worked/week STANDARD_DEVIATION 0 |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized African American | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Asian | 2 Participants | 0 Participants | 2 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Mixed | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Other | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized White/Caucasian | 4 Participants | 5 Participants | 15 Participants | 6 Participants |
| Role Administrative | 3 Participants | 3 Participants | 9 Participants | 3 Participants |
| Role Managerial | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 3 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Role Other | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Role Professional | 3 Participants | 2 Participants | 6 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 4 Participants | 5 Participants | 14 Participants | 5 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 2 Participants | 1 Participants | 4 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Total Hours Worked Per Week | 45.83 hours/week STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.44 | 41 hours/week STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.76 | 43.11 hours/week STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.74 | 42.5 hours/week STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.81 |
| Uncomfortable from Aches/Pains | 1.20 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.71 | 0.93 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.24 | 1.07 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.49 | 1.07 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.45 |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk | EG002 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 6 | 0 / 6 | 0 / 6 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 6 | 0 / 6 | 0 / 6 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 6 | 0 / 6 | 0 / 6 |
Outcome results
Primary
Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months
Three scales were compiled 1) aches and pains, 2) discomfort and 3) interference due to aches and pains. All three scales included 9 questions centered on the occurrence in body regions, including the neck, shoulder, upper and lower back, upper arms, forearm/wrist, hip, thigh, and knee/lower leg. Aches and Pains was on a 5 point scale, from 1) Never to 5) Several Times a Day. Uncomfortable was on a 4 point scale, ranging from 0) No Discomfort to 3) Very Uncomfortable. Interference was on a 4 point scale from 0) Not a problem to 3) Substantially interfered. Higher scores indicated more problems in each of these areas.
Time frame: 3 months
Population: At this point in the study there were still 16 individuals enrolled.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months | Uncomfortable from Aches | 0.46 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.4 |
| 30 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months | Aches and Pains | 1.43 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.38 |
| 30 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months | Interference | 0.50 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.2 |
| 60 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months | Uncomfortable from Aches | 0.54 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.4 |
| 60 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months | Aches and Pains | 1.33 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.12 |
| 60 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months | Interference | 0.50 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.2 |
| 90 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months | Aches and Pains | 1.47 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.4 |
| 90 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months | Interference | 0.65 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.24 |
| 90 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 3 Months | Uncomfortable from Aches | 0.89 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.93 |
Comparison: Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis Tests and ChiSqaure analysis were completed for aches/pains at the three month time framep-value: 0.9327Chi-squared
Comparison: Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis Tests and ChiSqaure analysis were completed for discomfort at the three month time framep-value: 0.7523Chi-squared
Comparison: Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis Tests and ChiSqaure analysis were completed for interference at the three month time frame.p-value: 0.9196Chi-squared
Primary
Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months
Three scales were compiled 1) aches and pains, 2) discomfort and 3) interference due to aches and pains. All three scales included 9 questions centered on the occurrence in body regions, including the neck, shoulder, upper and lower back, upper arms, forearm/wrist, hip, thigh, and knee/lower leg. Aches and Pains was on a 5 point scale, from 1) Never to 5) Several Times a Day. Uncomfortable was on a 4 point scale, ranging from 0) No Discomfort to 3) Very Uncomfortable. Interference was on a 4 point scale from 0) Not a problem to 3) Substantially interfered. Higher scores indicated more problems in each of these areas.
Time frame: 6 months
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months | Uncomfortable from Aches | 0.64 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.62 |
| 30 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months | Aches and Pains | 1.56 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.53 |
| 30 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months | Interfere with Work | 0.47 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.43 |
| 60 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months | Uncomfortable from Aches | 0.30 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.23 |
| 60 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months | Aches and Pains | 1.31 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.27 |
| 60 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months | Interfere with Work | 0.33 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.31 |
| 90 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months | Aches and Pains | 1.53 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.37 |
| 90 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months | Interfere with Work | 0.62 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.37 |
| 90 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort Per Group at 6 Months | Uncomfortable from Aches | 0.80 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.47 |
Comparison: Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis Tests and ChiSquare Analysis were completedp-value: 0.6316Chi-squared
Comparison: Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis Tests and ChiSqaure analysis were completed for discomfort at the six month time frame.p-value: 0.2595Chi-squared
Comparison: Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis Tests and ChiSqaure analysis were completed for interference at the six month time framep-value: 0.4495Chi-squared
Secondary
Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort at Work at 3 Months and 6 Months All Groups Combined
The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire consists of three scales that were compiled 1) aches and pains, 2) discomfort and 3) interference due to aches and pains. All three scales included 9 questions centered on the occurrence in body regions, including the neck, shoulder, upper and lower back, upper arms, forearm/wrist, hip, thigh, and knee/lower leg. Aches and Pains was on a 5 point scale, from 1) Never to 5) Several Times a Day. Uncomfortable was on a 4 point scale, ranging from 0) No Discomfort to 3) Very Uncomfortable. Interference was on a 4 point scale from 0) Not a problem to 3) Substantially interfered. Higher scores indicated more problems in each of these areas.
Time frame: Beginning of study, 3 months, and 6 months (end of study)
Population: Secondary to the individual group sizes being small, we decided to do an analysis of all of the groups combined to determine if the intervention made any impact on musculoskeletal discomfort with use over time.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort at Work at 3 Months and 6 Months All Groups Combined | Aches/Pains | 1.40 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.3 |
| 30 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort at Work at 3 Months and 6 Months All Groups Combined | Uncomfortable from Aches | 0.60 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.56 |
| 30 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort at Work at 3 Months and 6 Months All Groups Combined | Interfere with Work | 0.54 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.45 |
| 60 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort at Work at 3 Months and 6 Months All Groups Combined | Aches/Pains | 1.46 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.38 |
| 60 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort at Work at 3 Months and 6 Months All Groups Combined | Uncomfortable from Aches | 0.57 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.47 |
| 60 Minute Group | Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort at Work at 3 Months and 6 Months All Groups Combined | Interfere with Work | 0.48 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.36 |
Comparison: Three and six month results were combined and compared to baseline data for each of the outcome variables. Repeated measures MANOVAs with pairwise comparisons were used to examine the decrease of variables over time from time 1 to times 2 and 3.p-value: <0.0001MANOVA
Comparison: Three and six month results were combined and compared to baseline data for each of the outcome variables. Repeated measures MANOVAs with pairwise comparisons were used to examine the decrease of variables over time from time 1 to times 2 and 3.p-value: =0.0006MANOVA
Comparison: We used repeated measures MANOVAs with pairwise comparisons to examine the decrease of the variables over time. Significant differences for within subjects by time were foundp-value: <0.0001MANOVA