| Popis: |
Summary Objective To determine the effectiveness of ergonomic training on postural habits and computer operators’ psychosocial mediating variables based on the transtheoretical model (TTM). Design A prospective randomized controlled trial. Setting Departments of two universities in Qazvin, Iran. Participants One hundred and thirty-four of operators, mean age 31.0 ± 7.2 years, who worked at a computer for a minimum of 20 h per week. The subjects were divided into intervention (n = 67) and control (n = 67) groups. Intervention The intervention group received a TTM-based intervention involving eight 2-h sessions, which included 45–60 min stage-matched ergonomic counseling, ergonomic behavior training, and a package of training materials comprising a facilitator's handbook and a handout regarding computer ergonomic guidelines (Ergo-Guidelines). Outcome measures Ergonomic knowledge, stage of change, self-efficacy, pros and cons, preventive behavior and rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) scores were measured at baseline, 3- and 6-month post-ergonomics training. Results Although both groups were homogeneous in all variables at baseline, the intervention group showed significant improvements in stages of change (P Conclusions Results from this study provide evidence that TTM-based ergonomic training among computer operators can improve postural risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). |
