“Back Health 24/7/365”—A Novel, Comprehensive “One Size Fits All” Workplace Health Promotion Intervention for Occupational Back Health among Hospital Employees

Timothy Hasenoehrl (), Margarete Steiner, Felix Ebenberger, Philipp Kull, Julia Sternik, Lukas Reissig, Galateja Jordakieva and Richard Crevenna
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Timothy Hasenoehrl: Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Margarete Steiner: Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Felix Ebenberger: Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Philipp Kull: Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Julia Sternik: Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Lukas Reissig: Division of Anatomy, Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 13, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Galateja Jordakieva: Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Richard Crevenna: Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 6, 1-10

Abstract: Background: Projects for workplace health promotion (WHP) for back pain traditionally focus exclusively on work-related but not on leisure-time stress on the spine. We developed a comprehensive WHP project on the back health of hospital workers regardless of the physical characteristics of their work and compared its effects on sedentary and physically active hospital workers. Methods: Study assessments were carried out before and six months after participation in the WHP intervention. The primary outcome parameter was back pain (Oswestry Disability Index, ODI). Anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), work ability (Work Ability Index), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10), and quality of life (Short Form-36) were assessed via questionnaires as secondary outcome parameters. Physical performance was measured via the 30 seconds Sit-to-Stand test (30secSTS). Results: Sixty-eight healthcare workers with non-specific back pain were included in the evaluation study of the WHP project “Back Health 24/7/365”. After six months, back pain, physical performance, and self-perceived physical functioning (SF-36 Physical Functioning subscale) improved significantly in both groups. Not a single parameter showed an interaction effect with the group allocation. Conclusions: A comprehensive WHP-intervention showed significant positive effects on hospital workers regardless of the physical characteristics of their work.

Keywords: back pain; manual material handling; office work; weight lifting; core stability; education; compensatory exercises (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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