The Effect of Flooring on Musculoskeletal Symptoms in the Lower Extremities and Low Back among Nursing Assistants - An Intervention Study

摘要

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of changing the floor from a 2 mm homogenous vinyl floor to a 4 mm heterogeneous vinyl floor (1.5 mm wear layer and 2.5 mm foam layer) on musculoskeletal symptoms in the lower extremities and low back among nursing assistants in a geriatric care centre. In order to study the effects of the new floor we used a before and after design, and also included a reference group from a similar geriatric care centre in the same municipality. The follow-up measurement was carried out 12 months after the intervention. A questionnaire was used to assess background information and potential confounders as well as musculoskeletal symptoms at baseline and at followup. T-tests, paired t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measurements were used to analyze the results. The baseline questionnaire was answered by 91 women in the intervention group and 62 women in the reference group. The response rate at follow-up after one year was 85% in the intervention group and 77% in the reference group. In the intervention group the pain scores had decreased for the low back (p=0.03), hips (p=0.24) and feet (p<0.01), but were similar for the knees. No significant changes in pain scores were observed for the reference group at the 12 month follow-up. In the ANOVAS the only region with a statistically significant interaction effect (time x group, indicative of an intervention effect) was the feet (p=0.01). The significant result remained when controlling for mental stress at baseline and exposure to walking/standing at work. Altogether, the results show the importance of the flooring in the workplace, especially in the female-dominated health care sector with high exposure to standing/walking, in order to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms.