Effects of a workplace physical exercise intervention on the fatigue, work-related stress, and musculoskeletal disorders in the hand-woven carpet weavers

The survey of fatigue tolerance in carpet weaving The survey of work-related stress in carpet weavers The survey of prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in carpet weaving Investigating the effect of workplace physical activity at fatigue tolerance in carpet weaving Investigating the effect of workplace physical activity on the stress caused by work in carpet weaving The effect of workplace physical activity on musculoskeletal disorders in carpet weaving

The present study is a phase 3 of randomized controlled trial parallel group with parallel groups. In this study 100 carpet weavers with musculoskeletal problems will be selected through screening in Shahruod city and the countryside. The participants are randomly assigned into two groups of workplace physical activity group and the control group.

After the participants have been identified, informed consent form and a demographic profile questionnaire will be completed by participants. Then baseline evaluations are performed and the participants are randomly assigned into two groups of 50 workplace physical activity group and 50 control group. After classification, the workplace physical activity group participates in an on-site physical activity program for 24 weeks, each days of week for 20 minutes at an intermediate interval of work, and control group subjects continue to their routinely daily activities. At the end of 24 weeks post-test assessments will be similar to the baseline evaluations. Because of the nature of the study, participants are not blinded to allocation, but statisticians and evaluators were blinded from participant’s allocation in groups.

Inclusion criteria: physician confirmation for participation in the physical activity program; Ensuring health for participation in exercise training based on the PARQ; Lack of any neurological, severe respiratory, vascular, metabolic and skeletal diseases; Taking tranquilizers, or any special medication that affects the mental state. Exclusion criteria: History of depression, anxiety or other mental disorders; severe problems in the lower and upper extremities or the spine (fracture, cancer, deformity, progressive arthritis); history of joint replacement; lack of regular participation in exercise training programs; and receiving the recent physiotherapy program during the study period.

The work place physical activity program includes 5 stretching exercises and 9 strengthening exercises that are selected based on previous studies. Specific training programs for each person according to his problems is designed. Stretching exercises were included the muscles of the wrists, elbow, shoulders, and thighs, starting with three 15-second repetitions, and extending over the course of the research to 6 repetitions of 30 seconds. The strengthening exercises were also included to the muscles of the wrists, elbow, and shoulders, and thighs, which are positional isometric and isotonic, and begin with three 15-second repetitions, and during the course of the research, there are 6 repetitions of 30 seconds. Each training session starts with 5 to 10 minutes of exercise and slow stretching for warming. The rest intervals between sets and exercises are 15 and 30 seconds respectively.

Musculoskeletal disorders were assessed using Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire.

To allocate participants to research groups, a computerized list of random numbers is created using a computer software by one of the research colleagues. Then, one of the members of the research team who is not associated with the participants, divides them into the experimental (training) and control groups using block randomized with blocks 2 and 4. Assignment sequences are hidden by the envelopes encoded in the order numbered, and the envelopes are opened only after all participants basic evaluations have been completed. Because of the nature of the study, participants are not blinded by allocation, but researchers, statisticians and evaluators were blinded from subjects allocation.

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