%0 Journal Article
%T Process Evaluation of Workplace Interventions with Physical Exercise to Reduce Musculoskeletal Disorders
%A Lars L. Andersen
%A Mette K. Zebis
%J International Journal of Rheumatology
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/761363
%X Process evaluation is important to explain success or failure of workplace interventions. This study performs a summative process evaluation of workplace interventions with physical exercise. As part of a randomized controlled trial 132 office workers with neck and shoulder pain were to participate in 10 weeks of elastic resistance training five times a week at the workplace; the 2£żmin group performed a single set of lateral raise to failure, and the 12£żmin group performed 5-6 sets with 8¨C12 repetitions. Participants received a single instructional session together with a training diary and manual at baseline (100% dose delivered and 100% dose received), and 59 and 57 participants, respectively, replied to the process evaluation questionnaire at 10-week follow-up. Results showed that in the 2 and 12£żmin groups, respectively, 82% and 81% of the participants completed more than 30 training sessions. However, two-thirds of the participants would have preferred more than a single exercise to vary between. In the 12 versus 2£żmin group more participants experienced the training sessions as too long (30% versus 5%). Most participants (67¨C92%) found the training diary and manual helpful, adequacy in a single instructional session, and satisfaction with the type of training. Among those with low adherence, lack of time (51%) and difficulties in starting exercising after illness (26%) were common barriers for regular training. Among those with low adherence, 52% felt that five training sessions per week were too much, and 29% would rather have trained a completely different kind of exercise. In conclusion, resistance training at the workplace is generally well received among office workers with neck-shoulder pain, but a one-size-fits-all approach is not feasible for all employees. 1. Introduction Musculoskeletal disorders are common and costly in the working population across Europe as well as in the United States [1, 2]. A Danish survey among the general working population found that almost a third of white-collar workers suffered from pain in the neck and shoulders, which was associated with 35% increased risk of long-term sickness absence [3]. In addition to the cost for workplaces and society, musculoskeletal pain often has long-term adverse physical and psychological consequences for the individual [4]. Among office workers, the majority of neck and shoulder pains manifest as moderate to severe muscle tenderness in the trapezius, neck extensors, levator scapulae, and infraspinatus muscles [5]. Interventions to reduce neck and shoulder pain have therefore
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijr/2014/761363/