Impact of an ergonomic training program on musculoskeletal disorders among paramedical staff: A comparative study

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major occupational health concern among paramedical staff, leading to pain, reduced performance, and absenteeism. This prospective interventional comparative study included all 80 paramedical staff members at the center who met the inclusion criteria, making the study population exhaustive. Participants were assigned to an intervention group (n = 40) receiving a three-session ergonomic training program or a control group (n = 40) receiving usual practice. Primary outcomes were MSD prevalence and absenteeism; the secondary outcome was quality of life (SF-36). Assessments were conducted at baseline (T0) and 6 months (T6). After 6 months, the intervention group reported a significant reduction in MSD prevalence in the cervical spine (from 55% to 30%, p = 0.01), shoulders (55% to 35%, p = 0.03), hands (40% to 20%, p = 0.008), and fingers (35% to 20%, p = 0.03) compared to baseline and to the control group. Absenteeism days decreased significantly in the intervention group (from 14 ± 7 to 8 ± 4 days, p = 0.03). No significant change was observed in overall SF-36 scores. The ergonomic training program was associated with reductions in MSD prevalence and absenteeism among paramedical staff.