The effect of individual job coaching and use of health threat in a job-specific occupational health education program on prevention of work-related musculoskeletal back injury.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of individual job coaching and use of health threat in a job-specific occupational health education program in preventing work-related musculoskeletal back injuries during manual materials handling in construction laborers.


METHODS
Two hundred five laborers were recruited by 3-stage cluster sampling process and randomly assigned to receive different education programs on manual materials handling. Control group was given a conventional program, whereas experimental group received a job-specific program.


RESULTS
A statistically significant group difference was found in the knowledge and practical skills on manual materials handling after training (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, the results from 1-year cumulative incidence revealed a significantly lesser number of first-time reports of work-related musculoskeletal back injuries in the experimental group.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that job-specific education is an effective preventive strategy for work-related musculoskeletal back injury.
Cheng
Andy Shu-kei
AS
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. andy.cheng@polyu.edu.hk
Chan
Ernest Ping-Shing
EP
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019567:Back Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D003252:Construction Materials; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires