The Effectiveness of a Multidisciplinary Exercise Program in Managing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms for Low-Skilled Workers in the Low-Income Community: A Pre-Post-Follow-Up Study

Kin Cheung, Mimi M. Y. Tse, Chi Kan Wong, Kwan Wai Mui, Siu Kan Lee, Ka Yan Ma, Keith T. S. Tung and Echo Ping Woi Lau
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Kin Cheung: School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Mimi M. Y. Tse: School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Chi Kan Wong: Caritas Community Development Service, Hong Kong, China
Kwan Wai Mui: Caritas Community Development Service, Hong Kong, China
Siu Kan Lee: Caritas Community Development Service, Hong Kong, China
Ka Yan Ma: School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Keith T. S. Tung: School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Echo Ping Woi Lau: School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: Studies on work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (WRMSs) have been conducted mainly on different types of workforce but not many on low-skilled workers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary exercise program in decreasing the number of body parts with WRMSs for low-skilled workers. This study used a repeated-measures, single-group design. One hundred and five (105) workers participated in eight weekly 90-min sessions (including 45-min workshops and 45-min exercises) in low-income community settings. The exercise program involved a 21-movement stretching exercise and a 10-movement muscle-strengthening exercise. Questionnaire and health-assessment data were collected at the baseline (N = 105) and immediately after the 8-week program (n = 86). The average age of the 105 participants was 50.5 ± 8.7 years (ranging from 31 to 67). Over 80% (n = 87) of them were female, 68.6% (n = 72) were married, and 68.6% (n = 72) had completed secondary school. They reported an average of three body parts with WRMSs at baseline (T0). By the end of the eight weeks (T1), the participants had reduced the number of WRMS-affected body parts, job stress, and incidences of working through pain, and had improved spine flexibility and handgrip strength. The factors significantly affecting the reduction in the number of body parts with WRMSs were change in the workstyle of working through pain, and self-rated health status. Our study has demonstrated that a community-based multidisciplinary program can reduce the number of body parts affected by WRMSs in low-skilled workers in low-income communities.

Keywords: public health; health promotion; occupational health; social class; health inequalities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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