Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Nelson, Nancy A.
• Silverstein, Barbara A.

Titel

Workplace Changes Associated with a Reduction in Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Office Workers

Ist Teil von

• Human factors, 1998-06, Vol.40 (2), p.337-350

Ort / Verlag

Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications

Erscheinungsjahr

1998

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with reductions observed in musculoskeletal symptoms when office workers were moved to a new building. A questionnaire including items regarding symptoms and aspects of the work environment was administered to 577 office workers before and after they were moved from nine buildings to a single new facility in 1992. Employees working in two reference buildings, where they remained throughout the study period, were also surveyed. Two musculoskeletal outcomes, hand/arm and neck/shoulder/back, were selected for study. In matched multivariate analyses, the reduction in hand/arm symptoms from 1992 to 1993 was associated with improved satisfaction with the physical workstation (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0); the reduction in neck/shoulder/back symptoms was associated with improved chair comfort (OR = 1.8), fewer housekeeping responsibilities (OR = 3.6), female gender (OR = 1.8), and low pay range (OR = 1.7). Longitudinal results suggested that changes in workstations resulted in decreased symptoms. Results of this investigation might be used to develop workplace changes that result in reductions of musculoskeletal disorders