Affiliations: Doctoral Program in Rehabilitation Science, University
of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada | School of Occupational Therapy, University of Western
Ontario, London, ON, Canada | School of Kinesiology, University of Western Ontario,
London, ON, Canada
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Rhysa Leyshon, Doctoral Program in
Rehabilitation Science, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, N6G
1H1. Tel.: +1 519 661 2111 ext. 88979; E-mail: rleyshon@uwo.ca
Abstract: Introduction: Ergonomic interventions designed for office and
computer work have become widely available and heavily marketed but there is
little evidence to support their use with workers who already have a
musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). The purpose of any ergonomic intervention can
be to improve worker comfort, safety and/or productivity. The ergonomic
research in secondary prevention typically focuses outcomes on improved worker
comfort but less if any emphasis has been put on productivity and safety. The
purpose of this study was to determine the level and quality of evidence
supporting ergonomic interventions to improve the comfort, safety and/or
productivity of office workers with symptoms of MSDs. Method: A search of the ergonomic intervention literature based on
MSDs of four body areas (low back, upper limb, eye and neck) was employed. The
studies underwent two levels of analysis for inclusion in a best-evidence
synthesis approach, which included a priori evaluation of specific
interventions relative to outcomes of comfort, safety and/or productivity. Results: Twenty-seven out of 202 articles were synthesized based on
relevance, quality and significant results. Only 8 articles were determined
high quality and no strong levels of evidence were identified. Levels of
evidence for specific ergonomic interventions ranged from insufficient to
moderate. Generally outcomes were focused mostly on improved comfort of
workers. Conclusions: There is still limited quality research that addresses
ergonomic interventions designed for secondary prevention. Further high quality
studies are needed to support evidence-based ergonomic interventions in
practice. For all stakeholders to fully evaluate the usefulness of the
ergonomic intervention studies need to attend to outcomes not only of worker
comfort but also to productivity and safety.
