Preventive Intervention in Nursery School Teachers

University of Bologna

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 1

Conditions

Neck Pain

Low Back Pain

Treatments

Other: Extension-oriented exercise program

Other: Informative Brochure

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT00783562

PP001032008

Details and patient eligibility

About

Childcare in nursery schools has been shown to be associated with an elevated prevalence of neck, shoulder, arm and low back disorders. The current evidence suggests that exercises seem to be the only effective preventive intervention. Thus the purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an extension-oriented exercise program in preventing low back/neck pain and functional disability in nursery school teachers. In addition, the investigators also sought to identify the occurrence of musculoskeletal complaints in this category of workers.

Full description

Seventy-one nursery school teachers working in nine school buildings were randomly divided into two groups, with each school as a unit of randomization. All the teachers in both groups received an ergonomic brochure; teachers in the experimental group also received an extension-oriented exercise program, conducted by a physical therapist. Data were collected at baseline and at a two-month follow-up. The primary outcome measure recorded was the level of disability (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and Oswestry Disability Index), while secondary outcome measures included LBP and neck pain presence (Pain Drawing) and intensity (Visual Analogue Scale). At follow-up, a significant improvement was registered in the experimental group for all the outcomes evaluated. In conclusion a six-session extension-oriented exercise program proved decisive in preventing low back and neck complaints and in reducing consequent LBP functional disability among nursery school teachers.

Enrollment

71 patients

Sex

Female

Ages

18 to 70 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

The study population was composed by all the 71 nursery school teachers, employed at the town hall of Forlì, that worked in nine different school buildings similar in size and furniture. As provided for by the Italian law (Emilia-Romagna Regional Law No. 1 of January 10, 2000 - art. 32, followed by the Directive of July 25, 2001), teachers had the same working schedule and the same workload in terms of teacher/children ratio depending on children age.

Exclusion criteria