A Multi-component Intervention (NEXpro) Reduces Neck Pain-Related Work Productivity Loss: A Randomized Controlled Trial Among Swiss Office Workers

Andrea Martina Aegerter, Manja Deforth, Thomas Volken, Venerina Johnston, Hannu Luomajoki, Holger Dressel, Julia Dratva, Markus Josef Ernst, Oliver Distler, Beatrice Brunner, Gisela Sjøgaard, Markus Melloh, Achim Elfering, NEXpro Collaboration Group, Andrea Martina Aegerter, Manja Deforth, Thomas Volken, Venerina Johnston, Hannu Luomajoki, Holger Dressel, Julia Dratva, Markus Josef Ernst, Oliver Distler, Beatrice Brunner, Gisela Sjøgaard, Markus Melloh, Achim Elfering, Andrea Martina Aegerter, Manja Deforth, Thomas Volken, Venerina Johnston, Hannu Luomajoki, Holger Dressel, Julia Dratva, Markus Josef Ernst, Oliver Distler, Beatrice Brunner, Gisela Sjøgaard, Markus Melloh, Achim Elfering, NEXpro Collaboration Group, Andrea Martina Aegerter, Manja Deforth, Thomas Volken, Venerina Johnston, Hannu Luomajoki, Holger Dressel, Julia Dratva, Markus Josef Ernst, Oliver Distler, Beatrice Brunner, Gisela Sjøgaard, Markus Melloh, Achim Elfering

Abstract

Purpose Neck pain is common among office workers and leads to work productivity loss. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a multi-component intervention on neck pain-related work productivity loss among Swiss office workers. Methods Office workers, aged 18-65 years, and without serious neck-related health problems were recruited from two organisations for our stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial. The 12-week multi-component intervention included neck exercises, health-promotion information, and workplace ergonomics. The primary outcome of neck pain-related work productivity loss was measured using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire and expressed as percentages of working time. In addition, we reported the weekly monetary value of neck pain-related work productivity loss. Data was analysed on an intention-to-treat basis using a generalized linear mixed-effects model. Results Data from 120 participants were analysed with 517 observations. At baseline, the mean age was 43.7 years (SD 9.8 years), 71.7% of participants were female (N = 86), about 80% (N = 95) reported mild to moderate neck pain, and neck pain-related work productivity loss was 12% of working time (absenteeism: 1.2%, presenteeism: 10.8%). We found an effect of our multi-component intervention on neck pain-related work productivity loss, with a marginal predicted mean reduction of 2.8 percentage points (b = -0.27; 95% CI: -0.54 to -0.001, p = 0.049). Weekly saved costs were Swiss Francs 27.40 per participant. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence for the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention to reduce neck pain-related work productivity loss with implications for employers, employees, and policy makers.Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04169646. Registered 15 November 2019-Retrospectively registered, https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT04169646 .

Keywords: Absenteeism; Ergonomics; Exercise; Health promotion; Presenteeism.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

© 2022. The Author(s).

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Trial profile. A: each cluster consists of five groups with eight participants each (N = 40), cluster 1: two groups from Aargau (N = 16) and three groups from Zurich (N = 24), cluster 2: one group from Aargau (N = 8) and 4 groups from Zurich (N = 32), cluster 3: four groups from Aargau and one group from Zurich (N = 8) B: unsupervised intervention. C: N = 107 participants started the intervention at the allocated time point, N = 7 dropped out during the (supervised) intervention period (group 1: N = 3; group 2, N = 2; group 3, N = 2), N = 100 completed the (supervised) intervention, 94 completed the full trial (attrition rate of 22%). Further comments: No intervention from 04/20 to 08/20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participation rate Aargau: 10.4% (56 of 540 office workers) and Zurich 8.1% (64 of 793 office workers)

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