An assessment of ergonomic issues in the home offices of university employees sent home due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Gerding, T.J.; Syck, Megan; Daniel, D; Naylor, Jennifer C.; Kotowski, Susan; Gillespie, Gordon Lee; Freeman, Andrew M.; Huston, Thomas; Davis, Kermit G.

doi:10.3233/wor-205294

Cited by 105 publications

(100 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…However, we do not know how telework affects flexibility and autonomy, how it is connected to employees’ psychological job demands and job control, nor how it impacts employee health. Moreover, telework may also influence the line between work and private life or alter physical and ergonomic characteristics or other issues related to health, environment, and safety at work, compared to a regular office setting [ 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between telework from home and employee health: a systematic review

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Globalization and technological progress have made telework arrangements such as telework from home (TWFH) well-established in modern economies. TWFH was rapidly and widely implemented to reduce virus spread during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and will probably be widespread also post-pandemic. How such work arrangements affect employee health is largely unknown. Main objective of this review was to assess the evidence on the relationship between TWFH and employee health. Methods We conducted electronic searches in MEDLINE, Embase, Amed, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus for peer-reviewed, original research with quantitative design published from January 2010 to February 2021. Our aim was to assess the evidence for associations between TWFH and health-related outcomes in employed office workers. Risk of bias in each study was evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the collected body of evidence was evaluated using the the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Results We included 14 relevant studies (22,919 participants) reporting on 28 outcomes, which were sorted into six outcome categories (general health, pain, well-being, stress, exhaustion & burnout, and satisfaction with overall life & leisure). Few studies, with many having suboptimal designs and/or other methodological issues, investigating a limited number of outcomes, resulted in the body of evidence for the detected outcome categories being GRADED either as low or very low. Conclusions The consisting evidence on the relationship between TWFH and employee health is scarce. The non-existence of studies on many relevant and important health outcomes indicates a vast knowledge gap that is crucial to fill when determining how to implement TWFH in the future working life. Systematic review registration number PROSPERO registration ID # CRD42021233796.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between telework from home and employee health: a systematic review

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This lifestyle change may be the leading contributor for the enhanced back pain complaints since the onset of Covid‐19. Another potential reason is the lack of ergonomic office furniture available at home, which also can contribute to back pain (Gerding et al., 2021). The sedentary lifestyle and self‐isolation linked with Covid‐19 has been reported to be linked with increased weight gain and the risk of developing obesity (Bakaloudi et al., 2021; Cuschieri & Grech, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Back pain: An aftermath of Covid‐19 pandemic? A Malta perspective

Grech

Borg

Cuschieri

2021

Musculoskeletal Care

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Back pain is the commonest musculoskeletal complaint across the world. The Covid‐19 pandemic led to mitigating measures including remote working that enhanced a sedentary lifestyle. The aim of this study was to investigate whether back pain complaints have increased from pre‐Covid‐19 to during the Covid‐19 period among the adult population of Malta, while exploring the possible contributing factors. Methods An online survey was distributed through social media targeting the adult population of Malta. Questions on sociodemographic data, occurrence of back pain pre‐Covid‐19 and since the onset of Covid‐19 was gathered, along with changes in behavioural attitudes, daily routine and physical activity. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Out of the 388 responders, 30% experienced chronic back pain pre‐Covid‐19, 49% experienced back pain since Covid‐19, with the majority of the latter claiming that they never experienced back pain before Covid‐19. Significant changes were present in daily routine and physical activity (PA) patterns. Indeed, continuously sitting down (OR: 15.53; p ≤ 0.01), no PA (OR: 4.22; p ≤ <0.01), once a week PA (OR: 5.74; p ≤ <0.01), two to three times PA a week (OR: 2.58; p = 0.05) and four to five PA a week (OR: 3.46; p = 0.02) were associated with experiencing new onset back pain since the onset of Covid‐19, when adjusted for sex, age, education and employment status. Conclusion The pandemic has changed population behaviour resulting in an enhanced back pain occurrence. This is anticipated to impact the individual’s disability adjusted life years as well as increase the burden on the economy and healthcare services. A designated multidisciplinary action plan is recommended to reduce back pain impact.

show abstract

“…Among those who started telework during the COVID-19 pandemic, a poor working environment at home has been associated with a high level of discomfort in, for example, the head, eyes, and muscles. 31 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, it is also important for companies to educate the work environment teleworkers and supply them with office chairs with armrests, external monitors, keyboards, and computer mice. 7 , 11 , 31 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association Between Abrupt Change to Teleworking and Physical Symptoms During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Emergency Declaration in Japan

Tezuka

Nagata

Saeki

et al. 2021

Journal of Occupational &Amp; Environmental Medicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: We investigated the association between telework frequency and the presence of non-COVID-19–related physical symptoms during the COVID-19 emergency declaration among workers in Japan. Methods: Data were collected from 1648 workers via web-based self-reported questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between telework frequency per week (0, 1–2, 3–4, and ≥5 days/week) and the presence of stiff shoulders, eyestrain, and low back pain. Results: Among 917 participants, telework frequency was significantly associated with stiff shoulders (≥5 days: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.37–7.06), eyestrain (≥5 days: aOR 5.31, 95% CI 2.09–13.44), and low back pain (≥5 days: aOR 5.57, 95% CI 2.22–14.00), compared with non-teleworkers. Conclusions: Workers who abruptly began telework experienced more physical symptoms than non-teleworkers during the emergency declaration.

show abstract

An assessment of ergonomic issues in the home offices of university employees sent home due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 105 publications

References 17 publications

The relationship between telework from home and employee health: a systematic review

The relationship between telework from home and employee health: a systematic review

Back pain: An aftermath of Covid‐19 pandemic? A Malta perspective

Association Between Abrupt Change to Teleworking and Physical Symptoms During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Emergency Declaration in Japan

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About