Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction in electrical utility workers: Practical considerations for prevention and rehabilitation in the workplace.

INTRODUCTION: This study assessed the prevalence and associations of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction in electrical utility workers, with the aim of applying the findings to better prevent and rehabilitate workplace musculoskeletal disorders. METHODS: Employees completed an online survey recording their musculoskeletal symptoms across nine anatomical locations for the preceding 12 months. A total of 565 employees, working across eight different electrical utility organisational work units, completed the survey. CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: The study was collaborative and conducted in Australia's largest, wholly government owned electricity company. The study originated from the participating organisation wanting to better understand their musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks. RESULTS: Employees who experienced high job stress were 4.06 times (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.78-9.29) more likely to report musculoskeletal symptoms in the shoulder compared with employees with lower reported job stress. Employees that perceived their work to have high physical demands report lower back musculoskeletal symptoms at 2.64 times the rate of those perceiving their job to be of low physical demand (95% CI = 1.44-4.84). There were significant differences in the lower back musculoskeletal symptoms according to work unit membership. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the prevalence of MSDs is critical to implementing practical prevention and rehabilitation strategies in the workplace. This anonymous survey highlighted that a large proportion of electrical utility workers reported that musculoskeletal symptoms had impacted their ability to perform their job, housework and/or hobbies in the preceding 12 months. Early access to rehabilitation services is essential. However, many workers report barriers to disclosing MSDs; therefore, workplace rehabilitation services may need to be broadened to account for these barriers.

Workplace-Based Rehabilitation of Upper Limb Conditions: A Systematic Review.

Purpose The objective of this systematic review was to identify, collate and analyse the current available evidence on the effectiveness of workplace-based rehabilitative interventions in workers with upper limb conditions on work performance, pain, absenteeism, productivity and other outcomes. Methods We searched Medline, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, Africa-Wide Information, CINAHL, OTSeeker and PEDro with search terms in four broad areas: upper limb, intervention, workplace and clinical trial (no date limits). Studies including neck pain only or musculoskeletal pain in other areas were not included. Results Initial search located 1071 articles, of which 80 were full text reviewed. Twenty-eight articles were included, reporting on various outcomes relating to a total of seventeen studies. Nine studies were of high methodological quality, seven of medium quality, and one of low quality. Studies were sorted into intervention categories: Ergonomic controls (n = 3), ergonomic training and workstation adjustments (n = 4), exercise and resistance training (n = 6), clinic-based versus workplace-based work hardening (n = 1), nurse case manager training (n = 1), physiotherapy versus Feldenkrais (n = 1), and ambulant myofeedback training (n = 1). The largest body of evidence supported workplace exercise programs, with positive effects for ergonomic training and workstation adjustments, and mixed effects for ergonomic controls. Ambulant myofeedback training had no effect. The remaining three categories had positive effects in the single study on each intervention. Conclusion While there is substantial evidence for workplace exercise programs, other workplace-based interventions require further high quality research. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42017059708.

Workplace-Based Interventions for Mental Health in Africa: A Scoping Review.

Mental health problems are one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease. Workplaces provide a valuable and accessible setting for interventions to improve worker health. However, little is known about mental health interventions on the African continent, particularly those based in the workplace. This review aimed to identify and report on the literature about workplace-based interventions for mental health in Africa. This review followed the JBI and PRISMA ScR guidelines for scoping reviews. We searched 11 databases for qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies. The grey literature was included, and no language or date limits were applied. Title and abstract screening and full text review, were completed independently by two reviewers. A total of 15 514 titles were identified, of which, 26 titles were included. The most common study designs were qualitative studies (n = 7) and pre-experimental, single-group, pre-test, post-test studies (n = 6). Workers with depression, bipolar mood disorder, schizophrenia, intellectual disability, alcohol and substance abuse, stress and burnout were included in the studies. The participants were mostly skilled and professional workers. A wide variety of interventions were offered, of which, most were multi-modal. There is a need to develop multi-modal interventions in partnership with stakeholders, particularly for semi-skilled and unskilled workers.