A web-based workplace exercise intervention among office workers with spinal pain: Protocol of a mixed methods study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Digital Health Interventions
• Musculoskeletal Disorders

Background:

• Musculoskeletal disorders are a leading cause of disability, particularly affecting office workers due to prolonged sitting.
• Workplace therapeutic exercise is a feasible strategy for spinal pain, but requires understanding worker perspectives and barriers.
• A web-based intervention with active breaks was developed to address spinal pain in sedentary office environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a web-based workplace intervention incorporating active breaks.
• To reduce spinal pain and improve quality of life among office workers.
• To explore worker experiences and barriers related to workplace exercise interventions.

Main Methods:

• Sequential exploratory mixed-methods design combining qualitative interviews and a cluster randomized controlled trial.
• Development of a six-week web-based therapeutic exercise intervention based on qualitative findings.
• Evaluation through a two-arm trial comparing active breaks intervention with a control group, measuring pain, dysfunction, adherence, quality of life, and motivation.

Main Results:

• The study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.
• Primary outcomes include pain intensity, spinal dysfunction, and adherence.
• Secondary outcomes assess quality of life and exercise motivation.

Conclusions:

• Web-based interventions can improve adherence to active breaks for spinal pain management in sedentary workplaces.
• A mixed-methods approach provides insights into implementing workplace exercise interventions considering worker expectations and context.
• Findings will inform future strategies for managing musculoskeletal disorders in office workers.