Respiratory and Physical Outcomes in Different Types of Office Workers

Investigation of Respiratory System, Musculoskeletal System, Physical Activity Level and Quality of Life in Different Types of Office Workers.

There are no studies in the literature reporting the posture, chest mobility, dyspnea, flexibility, quality of life and physical activity levels of emergency call center employees. The aims of this observational study are; 1) to evaluate posture, chest mobility, strength, dyspnea, flexibility, musculoskeletal disorders, physical activity and quality of life in emergency call center workers and office workers, 2) to reveal the relationships between these parameters of both research groups and 3) The aim is to compare these measurement parameters in emergency call center workers and office workers.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Work-related Illness
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Physical Evaluations of individuals

Detailed Description

Over time, there has been an increase in the number of office workers and the use of computers. Working in a static position for long working hours and improper working postures can lead to loss of flexibility in the muscles, decrease in thoracic mobility, pain in the musculoskeletal system and deterioration of ideal posture. Emergency call center employees work long hours, in shifts that require serious attention, where stress is intense and the circadian rhythm is disrupted. There is no study in the literature that evaluates the posture, chest mobility, dyspnea, flexibility and physical activity levels of emergency call center employees. Therefore, the aim of our study is; It is a comparative evaluation of posture, chest mobility, cough strength, dyspnea flexibility, musculoskeletal disorders, physical activity level and quality of life in emergency call center operators and desk workers.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 52

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • İzmir, Turkey, 35140
    • Izmir Democracy University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

At least 27 individuals will be included in the emergency call center workers group and at least 25 individuals will be included in the office workers group.

Description

Inclusion Criteria for Emergency Call Center Workers

• Being an operator at Izmir 112 Emergency Call Center
• Being 18 years or older
• Volunteering to participate in the study
• Being able to understand and answer surveys

Inclusion Criteria for Office Workers

• Being actively working at a desk
• Being 18 years or older
• Volunteering to participate in the study
• Being able to understand and answer surveys

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have any history of acute/chronic infection, physical or mental disability/disease and/or cognitive impairment that would prevent measurement.
• Being pregnant
• Being able to exercise regularly

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Emergency call center workers; This group will consist of individuals working as operators at Izmir 112 Emergency Call Center.	Other: Physical Evaluations of individuals; Participants will be evaluated on posture, chest mobility, cough strength, flexibility, hand grip strength and pinch strength. They will be asked to answer the Modified Medical Research Council Scale, Cornell Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form and Short Form -36. The data to be obtained from all these evaluations are planned to be collected face to face from the participants at once and within a maximum of 1 hour.
Office workers; This group will consist of office workers who work actively at a desk.	Other: Physical Evaluations of individuals; Participants will be evaluated on posture, chest mobility, cough strength, flexibility, hand grip strength and pinch strength. They will be asked to answer the Modified Medical Research Council Scale, Cornell Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form and Short Form -36. The data to be obtained from all these evaluations are planned to be collected face to face from the participants at once and within a maximum of 1 hour.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Handgrip strength	Hand grip strength will be measured using the Jamar hand dynamometer.	up to 5 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Thoracic mobility	Individuals will be asked to sit in an upright sitting position with their arms slightly open, and their chest circumference will be measured with a tape measure at three different levels (axillary, epigastric, subcostal) at rest, deep breathing (maximum inspiration) and deep exhalation (maximum expiration). The difference between measurements will be recorded in centimeters.	up to 5 minutes
Cough strength	Cough strength will be evaluated using a PEFmeter.	up to 2-3 minutes
Dyspnea	Dyspnea will be assessed using the Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) Scale. This scale is a five-item scale based on various physical activities that cause a feeling of shortness of breath (dyspnea). As the score an individual gets from the scale increases, the perception of shortness of breath also increases.	up to 1 minute
Posture	Posture will be evaluated with sensorless posture analysis software based on the artificial intelligence concept created by Fizyosoft and Becure.	up to 5 minutes
Musculoskeletal pain	Musculoskeletal pain will be assessed using the Turkish version of the Cornell Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire. The score is obtained by multiplying the weighted scores corresponding to the individual's answer. The scores obtained for each region range between 0 and 90, and higher scores indicate higher levels of pain disorder.	up to 5 minutes
Flexibility	Flexibility will be evaluated with sit-reach test, pectoral shortness tests, and shoulder adductor and internal rotator shortness tests.	up to 5 minutes
Pinch strength	Pinch strength will be evaluated using a hydraulic pinch dynamometer.	up to 5 minutes
Physical activity level	Physical activity level will be assessed using the Turkish version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form."MET-min/week" scores were obtained by multiplying the minutes, days, and MET (which is set by convention at 3.5 milliliter of oxygen per kilogram per minute) values of each activity. According to these scores, individuals were classified as inactive, minimally active, and sufficiently active.	up to 2 minutes
Health-related quality of life	Quality of life will be assessed using the SF-36. It consists of eight subscales including physical function, role limitations due to physical health and emotional problems, vitality, emotional well-being, social function, bodily pain, and general health. Each subscale is scored between 0 (poorer health) and 100 (better health).	up to 5 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Izmir Democracy University
• Investigators: Study Director: GÜLŞAH BARĞI, Assoc.Dr., Izmir Democracy University; Principal Investigator: BERFİN KİŞİN, MSc, Izmir Emergency Call Center; Principal Investigator: ÖZLEM ÇİNAR ÖZDEMİR, Assoc.Dr., Izmir Democracy University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Heneghan NR, Baker G, Thomas K, Falla D, Rushton A. What is the effect of prolonged sitting and physical activity on thoracic spine mobility? An observational study of young adults in a UK university setting. BMJ Open. 2018 May 5;8(5):e019371. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019371.
• Clemes SA, O'Connell SE, Edwardson CL. Office workers' objectively measured sedentary behavior and physical activity during and outside working hours. J Occup Environ Med. 2014 Mar;56(3):298-303. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000101.
• Janwantanakul P, Pensri P, Jiamjarasrangsri V, Sinsongsook T. Prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among office workers. Occup Med (Lond). 2008 Sep;58(6):436-8. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqn072. Epub 2008 Jun 10.
• Rostamzadeh S, Saremi M, Fereshteh T. Maximum handgrip strength as a function of type of work and hand-forearm dimensions. Work. 2020;65(3):679-687. doi: 10.3233/WOR-203100.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 28, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 29, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 10, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): January 22, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 18, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: posture; dyspnea; office workers; musculoskeletal discomfort; thoracic mobility; call center operators
• Other Study ID Numbers: Different Office Workers

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No