On-site multi-component intervention to improve productivity and reduce the economic and personal burden of neck pain in Swiss office-workers (NEXpro) : protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Aegerter, Andrea; Deforth, Manja; Johnston, Venerina; Ernst, Markus; Volken, Thomas; Luomajoki, Hannu; Brunner, Beatrice; Dratva, Julia; Sjøgaard, Gisela; Elfering, Achim; Melloh, Markus

doi:10.1186/s12891-020-03388-x

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-20183

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	On-site multi-component intervention to improve productivity and reduce the economic and personal burden of neck pain in Swiss office-workers (NEXpro) : protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial
Authors:	Aegerter, Andrea Deforth, Manja Johnston, Venerina Ernst, Markus Volken, Thomas Luomajoki, Hannu Brunner, Beatrice Dratva, Julia Sjøgaard, Gisela Elfering, Achim Melloh, Markus
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1186/s12891-020-03388-x 10.21256/zhaw-20183
Published in:	BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Volume(Issue):	21
Issue:	391
Issue Date:	19-Jun-2020
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	BioMed Central
ISSN:	1471-2474
Language:	English
Subjects:	Adherence; Efficiency; Ergonomics; Exercise; Health promotion; Neck pain; Occupational health; Patient compliance; Randomized controlled trial; Workplace
Subject (DDC):	610: Medicine and health
Abstract:	Background: Non-specific neck pain and headache are major economic and individual burden in office-workers. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a multi-component intervention combining workstation ergonomics, health promotion information group workshops, neck exercises, and an app to enhance intervention adherence to assess possible reductions in the economic and individual burden of prevalent and incident neck pain and headache in office workers. Methods/design: This study is a stepped wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants will be any office-worker aged 18-65 years from two Swiss organisations in the Cantons of Zurich and Aargau, working more than 25 h a week in predominantly sedentary office work and without serious health conditions of the neck. One hundred twenty voluntary participants will be assigned to 15 clusters which, at randomly selected time steps, switch from the control to the intervention group. The intervention will last 12 weeks and comprises workstation ergonomics, health promotion information group workshops, neck exercises and an adherence app. The primary outcome will be health-related productivity losses (presenteeism, absenteeism) using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes are neck disability and pain (measured by the Neck Disability Index, and muscle strength and endurance measures), headache (measured by the short-form headache impact test), psychosocial outcomes (e.g. job-stress index, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire), workplace outcomes (e.g. workstation ergonomics), adherence to intervention, and additional measures (e.g. care-seeking). Measurements will take place at baseline, 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months after commencement. Data will be analysed on an intention to treat basis and per protocol. Primary and secondary outcomes will be examined using linear mixed-effects models. Discussion: To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first that investigates the impact of a multi-component intervention combining current evidence of effective interventions with an adherence app to assess the potential benefits on productivity, prevalent and incident neck pain, and headache. The outcomes will impact the individual, their workplace, as well as private and public policy by offering evidence for treatment and prevention of neck pain and headache in office-workers.
Further description:	Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04169646. Registered 15 November 2019 - Retrospectively registered.
URI:	https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32560714/ https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/20183
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	CC BY 4.0: Attribution 4.0 International
Departement:	School of Health Sciences School of Management and Law
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Public Health (IPH) Winterthur Institute of Health Economics (WIG)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	Prävention und Intervention von Nackenschmerzen bei Büroangestellten in der Schweiz (NEXpro)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Gesundheit

Files in This Item:

File	Description	Size	Format
2020_Aegerter_etal_Protocol_BMC-Musculoskeletal-Disorders.pdf		852.06 kB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Show full item record

Aegerter, A., Deforth, M., Johnston, V., Ernst, M., Volken, T., Luomajoki, H., Brunner, B., Dratva, J., Sjøgaard, G., Elfering, A., & Melloh, M. (2020). On-site multi-component intervention to improve productivity and reduce the economic and personal burden of neck pain in Swiss office-workers (NEXpro) : protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 21(391). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-020-03388-x

Aegerter, A. et al. (2020) ‘On-site multi-component intervention to improve productivity and reduce the economic and personal burden of neck pain in Swiss office-workers (NEXpro) : protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial’, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 21(391). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-020-03388-x.

A. Aegerter et al., “On-site multi-component intervention to improve productivity and reduce the economic and personal burden of neck pain in Swiss office-workers (NEXpro) : protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial,” BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, vol. 21, no. 391, Jun. 2020, doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03388-x.

AEGERTER, Andrea, Manja DEFORTH, Venerina JOHNSTON, Markus ERNST, Thomas VOLKEN, Hannu LUOMAJOKI, Beatrice BRUNNER, Julia DRATVA, Gisela SJØGAARD, Achim ELFERING und Markus MELLOH, 2020. On-site multi-component intervention to improve productivity and reduce the economic and personal burden of neck pain in Swiss office-workers (NEXpro) : protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders [online]. 19 Juni 2020. Bd. 21, Nr. 391. DOI 10.1186/s12891-020-03388-x. Verfügbar unter: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32560714/

Aegerter, Andrea, Manja Deforth, Venerina Johnston, Markus Ernst, Thomas Volken, Hannu Luomajoki, Beatrice Brunner, et al. 2020. “On-Site Multi-Component Intervention to Improve Productivity and Reduce the Economic and Personal Burden of Neck Pain in Swiss Office-Workers (NEXpro) : Protocol for a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.” BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 21 (391). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-020-03388-x.

Aegerter, Andrea, et al. “On-Site Multi-Component Intervention to Improve Productivity and Reduce the Economic and Personal Burden of Neck Pain in Swiss Office-Workers (NEXpro) : Protocol for a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.” BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, vol. 21, no. 391, June 2020, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-020-03388-x.