Effectiveness of participatory ergonomic interventions on health outcomes: A systematic review

The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of participatory ergonomic (PE) interventions for improving workers’ health. The search strategy targeted six electronic databases and identified 442 potential articles. Each article was examined by...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied ergonomics 2008-05, Vol.39 (3), p.342-358
Main Authors: Rivilis, Irina, Van Eerd, Dwayne, Cullen, Kimberley, Cole, Donald C., Irvin, Emma, Tyson, Jonathan, Mahood, Quenby
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Effectiveness studies
Ergonomics
Ergonomics - methods
Ergonomics. Work place. Occupational physiology
Health outcomes
Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology
Humans
Medical sciences
Occupational Health
Occupational psychology
Ontario
Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
Participatory ergonomics
Program Evaluation
Systematic review
Work environment
Workers
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Summary:The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of participatory ergonomic (PE) interventions for improving workers’ health. The search strategy targeted six electronic databases and identified 442 potential articles. Each article was examined by pairs of reviewers for relevance (assessed a participative ergonomic workplace intervention, with at least one health outcome, published in English in peer reviewed literature). Twenty-three articles met relevance criteria and were then appraised for methodological strength. Using a best evidence synthesis approach, 12 studies that were rated as ‘medium’ or higher provided partial to moderate evidence that PE interventions have a positive impact on: musculoskeletal symptoms, reducing injuries and workers’ compensation claims, and a reduction in lost days from work or sickness absence. However, the magnitude of the effect requires more precise definition.
ISSN:0003-6870
1872-9126
DOI:10.1016/j.apergo.2007.08.006