Musculoskeletal, visual and psychosocial stress in VDU operators before and after multidisciplinary ergonomic interventions. 1998

A Aarås, and G Horgen, and H H Bjørset, and O Ro, and M Thoresen
Alcatel STK A/S, Oslo, Norway.

The study has a parallel group design with two intervention groups (T and S) and one control group (C) of VDU operators. Three serial interventions were carried out in the T and S groups, first a new lighting system, then new workplaces and last an optometric examination and corrections if needed. The new lighting gave significantly increased illuminance levels, increased luminances of the room surfaces and better luminance distribution. The two intervention groups reported significant improvement of the lighting conditions, as well as of the visual conditions and significantly reduced visual discomfort and glare. Significant reduction of headache was found in one of the intervention groups. Optometric corrections reduced the visual discomfort in both the intervention groups. When looking at those given new corrections, a significant reduction was found in the T group and a clear tendency was also found in the S group. The C group reported no improvements for any of these health outcomes. The workplace intervention gave the operator the possibility to support the whole forearm and hand on the table top. Before the intervention there were no significant differences between the three groups regarding shoulder pain and static trapezius electromyographic (EMG) load. Two years after the intervention, a significant reduction of shoulder pain was reported in the T and S groups in parallel with a significant reduction in static trapezius load, while no such reduction was found in the C group. At the same time, both static trapezius load and shoulder pain were significantly lower in the T and S groups compared with the C group. Pain in the forearm and hand showed no significant changes in any of the groups during the study period. However, there seem to be a relationship between pain in the forearm and hand and the time the operator used the mouse. The C group reported significantly higher intensity of pain and used the mouse significantly more than the S group.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008029 Lighting The illumination of an environment and the arrangement of lights to achieve an effect or optimal visibility. Its application is in domestic or in public settings and in medical and non-medical environments. Illumination
D008297 Male Males
D010146 Pain An unpleasant sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by NERVE ENDINGS of NOCICEPTIVE NEURONS. Suffering, Physical,Ache,Pain, Burning,Pain, Crushing,Pain, Migratory,Pain, Radiating,Pain, Splitting,Aches,Burning Pain,Burning Pains,Crushing Pain,Crushing Pains,Migratory Pain,Migratory Pains,Pains, Burning,Pains, Crushing,Pains, Migratory,Pains, Radiating,Pains, Splitting,Physical Suffering,Physical Sufferings,Radiating Pain,Radiating Pains,Splitting Pain,Splitting Pains,Sufferings, Physical
D010147 Pain Measurement Scales, questionnaires, tests, and other methods used to assess pain severity and duration in patients or experimental animals to aid in diagnosis, therapy, and physiological studies. Analgesia Tests,Analogue Pain Scale,Formalin Test,McGill Pain Questionnaire,Nociception Tests,Pain Assessment,Pain Intensity,Pain Severity,Tourniquet Pain Test,Visual Analogue Pain Scale,Analog Pain Scale,Assessment, Pain,McGill Pain Scale,Visual Analog Pain Scale,Analgesia Test,Analog Pain Scales,Analogue Pain Scales,Formalin Tests,Intensity, Pain,Measurement, Pain,Nociception Test,Pain Assessments,Pain Intensities,Pain Measurements,Pain Questionnaire, McGill,Pain Scale, Analog,Pain Scale, Analogue,Pain Scale, McGill,Pain Severities,Pain Test, Tourniquet,Questionnaire, McGill Pain,Scale, Analog Pain,Scale, Analogue Pain,Scale, McGill Pain,Severity, Pain,Test, Analgesia,Test, Formalin,Test, Nociception,Test, Tourniquet Pain,Tests, Nociception,Tourniquet Pain Tests
D011187 Posture The position or physical attitude of the body. Postures
D011446 Prospective Studies Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group. Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D006261 Headache The symptom of PAIN in the cranial region. It may be an isolated benign occurrence or manifestation of a wide variety of HEADACHE DISORDERS. Cephalgia,Hemicrania,Bilateral Headache,Cephalalgia,Cephalodynia,Cranial Pain,Generalized Headache,Head Pain,Ocular Headache,Orthostatic Headache,Periorbital Headache,Retro-Ocular Headache,Sharp Headache,Throbbing Headache,Unilateral Headache,Vertex Headache,Bilateral Headaches,Cephalalgias,Cephalgias,Cephalodynias,Cranial Pains,Generalized Headaches,Head Pains,Headache, Bilateral,Headache, Generalized,Headache, Ocular,Headache, Orthostatic,Headache, Periorbital,Headache, Retro-Ocular,Headache, Sharp,Headache, Throbbing,Headache, Unilateral,Headache, Vertex,Headaches,Headaches, Bilateral,Headaches, Generalized,Headaches, Ocular,Headaches, Orthostatic,Headaches, Periorbital,Headaches, Retro-Ocular,Headaches, Sharp,Headaches, Throbbing,Headaches, Unilateral,Headaches, Vertex,Ocular Headaches,Orthostatic Headaches,Pain, Cranial,Pain, Head,Pains, Cranial,Pains, Head,Periorbital Headaches,Retro Ocular Headache,Retro-Ocular Headaches,Sharp Headaches,Throbbing Headaches,Unilateral Headaches,Vertex Headaches
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006804 Ergonomics The science of designing, building or equipping mechanical devices or artificial environments to the anthropometric, physiological, or psychological requirements of the people who will use them. Engineering Psychology,Human Engineering,Cognitive Ergonomics,Ergonomic Assessment,Human Factors Engineering,Human Factors and Ergonomics,Organizational Ergonomics,Physical Ergonomics,Psychology, Engineering,Visual Ergonomics,Cognitive Ergonomic,Ergonomic,Ergonomic Assessments,Ergonomic, Cognitive,Ergonomic, Organizational,Ergonomic, Physical,Ergonomic, Visual,Ergonomics, Cognitive,Ergonomics, Organizational,Ergonomics, Physical,Ergonomics, Visual,Human Factors Engineerings,Organizational Ergonomic,Physical Ergonomic,Visual Ergonomic
D001416 Back Pain Acute or chronic pain located in the posterior regions of the THORAX; LUMBOSACRAL REGION; or the adjacent regions. Backache,Back Ache,Back Pain with Radiation,Back Pain without Radiation,Vertebrogenic Pain Syndrome,Ache, Back,Aches, Back,Back Aches,Back Pains,Backaches,Pain Syndrome, Vertebrogenic,Pain Syndromes, Vertebrogenic,Pain, Back,Pains, Back,Syndrome, Vertebrogenic Pain,Syndromes, Vertebrogenic Pain,Vertebrogenic Pain Syndromes

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