Prevention and Intervention of Neck Pain in Swiss Office-Workers (NEXpro)

Zurich University of Applied Sciences

Status

Completed

Conditions

Ergonomics

Adult

Presenteeism

Musculoskeletal Diseases

Occupational Health

Neck Pain

Workplace

Headache

Efficiency

Work Performance

Exercise Therapy

Health Promotion

Absenteeism

Adherence, Patient

Surveys and Questionnaires

Treatments

Other: Multi-component intervention

Other: Control

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04169646

32003B_182389

Details and patient eligibility

About

Full description

Non-specific neck pain and headache are major economic and individual burdens 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 neck pain and headache in office workers.

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 Canton of Zurich and Canton of Aargau, working more than 25 hours a week in predominantly sedentary office work and without serious health conditions of the neck. 120 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 will include neck disability and pain. Physical and health outcomes (e.g. Neck Disability Index, muscle strength, and endurance), psychosocial outcomes (e.g. job-stress index, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire), workplace outcomes (e.g. workstation ergonomics), and individual outcomes (e.g. socio-demographic data, adherence to intervention) will be assessed. Measurements will take place at baseline, 4 months, 8 months, 12 months, 16 months, and 28 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.

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, 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.

Enrollment

120 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 65 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Swiss office-workers, who suffer from NP or want to take prevention of neck pain or headache
18-65 years old
working more than 25 hours per week (0.6 full-time equivalent) in predominantly sedentary office work
be able to communicate in German (written, spoken)
have provided written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

previous trauma or injuries to the neck (NP grade 4)
specific diagnosed pathologies (e.g., congenital cervical abnormalities, stenosis, fracture, radiculopathy)
inflammatory condition (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis)
any history of cervical spine surgery
if exercise is contraindicated (e.g., medical advice, own beliefs)
prolonged absence from work (more than four consecutive weeks) during the study intervention period
pregnant women