Influence of break software on musculoskeletal symptoms in office workers

Abstract

Introduction: Pauses are intervention strategy often used to prevent the musculoskeletal disorders. Objective: Investigate the effect of Postural Awareness Software in the prevalence of symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders in workers. Methods: Twenty nine office workers were randomly allocated in control group (n=15) and in intervention group (n=14). The former weren´t submitted to any intervention, while the latter were submitted to an intervention protocol with the software during 8 weeks. To evaluate the symptoms, it was applied the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and a brief questionnaire to assess the satisfaction with the software. Results: Symptoms of musculoskeletal pain weren´t reduced after the software´s application. In the other hand, 9 (64.29%) of the 14 participants reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the use of software. Conclusion: The software was satisfactory for most workers; however, it was not effective in reducing symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders in office workers.