Effect of physical training and ergonomic counselling on the psychological perception of work and on the subjective assessment of low-back insufficiency

Abstract

The effect of physical training and ergonomic counselling on the psychological perception of work and the frequency and severity of low-back symptoms was studied in a group of female nursing aides with low-back insufficiency symptoms. The nursing aides were divided into three groups. One group (the training group) was given conditioning exercises twice a week for eight weeks. A second group (ergonomics group) was given ergonomic counselling during the same period, and a third group served as a control group. The subjects' psychological perception of their work, low-back symptoms and physical working capacity were measured before and after the study. At the end of the study the training group had improved their psychological perception of their work in two of seven variables compared with the control group. The ergonomics group did not show any change in their psychological perception of their work. The physical capacity of the training group had increased somewhat compared with the control group but not compared with the ergonomics group. The perceived exertion during work on a bicycle ergometer had decreased in the training group compared with the control group as well as with the ergonomics group. The influence of either training or ergonomic counselling on the low-back symptoms was negligible.