PREVENTING MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AMONG VDT OPERATORS

提出了第一项针对计算机用户预防颈部、肩部和上肢肌肉骨骼疾病的特定人体工程学和姿势干预的随机试验。将研究两组特定的姿势干预：1)基于VDT使用者肌肉骨骼疾病前瞻性研究的初步结果的姿势干预（“Emory/GT干预”）和2)基于OSHA和其他建议的姿势干预（“常规干预”）。具体目的是：1)招募318名新聘用的计算机操作员参加研究，2)将这些参与者随机分为三个研究组（每组106人）：a) Emory/GT干预，b)常规干预，c)不接受干预的对照组，3)在六个月的随访期间，比较每个干预组与对照组的颈部/肩部症状和手/手臂症状的发生率和无症状生存时间。在确定并纳入符合条件的受试者后，研究人员将收集人体工程学、个人健康和其他信息，并将受试者随机分配到三个研究组之一。受试者的工作站将被重新配置，以确保其符合指定干预组的要求。此外，将进行标准问卷调查，记录心理社会压力源的经历。在六个月的随访期间，受试者将被要求完成一份每日日记，记录一系列职业和非职业活动以及他们的肌肉骨骼症状经历。在0-10级视觉模拟量表中，肌肉骨骼不适超过“6”或需要使用镇痛药物将作为分析中使用的不良肌肉骨骼结果。将计算颈部和肩部以及手部和手臂肌肉骨骼不适的发生率和无症状生存时间，并估计相对风险，以确定与非干预组相比，干预组的成员是否显著降低了肌肉骨骼不良结局的风险。此外，将比较两个干预组之间不良肌肉骨骼预后的风险。

The first randomized trial of specific ergonomic and postural interventions for prevention of neck, shoulder, and upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders among computer users is proposed. Two specific sets of postural interventions will be studied: 1) postural interventions based on the preliminary results of a prospective study of musculoskeletal disorders among VDT users (the "Emory/GT intervention") and 2) postural interventions based on recommendations of OSHA and others (the "conventional intervention"). The specific aims are to: 1) recruit 318 newly hired computer operators to participate in the study, 2) randomize these participants to one of three study groups (106 per group): a) the Emory/GT intervention, b) the conventional intervention, and c) a control group that receives no intervention and 3) compare the incidence and symptom-free survival time of neck/shoulder symptoms and hand/arm symptoms of each of the intervention groups to the control group during a six month follow-up period. After identification and enrollment of eligible subjects, the investigators will collect ergonomic, personal health, and other information and randomly allocate the subjects to one of the three study groups. The subject's workstation will then be reconfigured to ensure that it meets the requirements of the assigned intervention group. In addition, a standard questionnaire documenting experience of psychosocial stressors will be administered. During the six month follow-up period, subjects will be asked to complete a daily diary documenting a range of occupational and non-occupational activities as well as their experience of musculoskeletal symptoms. Musculoskeletal discomfort in excess of a value of "6" on a 0-10 visual analog scale or requiring use of analgesic medication will be the adverse musculoskeletal outcome used in the analyses. Incidence rates and symptom-free survival times for musculoskeletal discomfort of the neck and shoulder region as well as for the hand and arm region will be calculated and relative risks estimated to determine whether members of either intervention group had significantly reduced risk of adverse musculoskeletal outcomes in comparison to members of the non-intervention group. In addition, risk of adverse musculoskeletal outcomes will be compared between the two intervention groups.