Stretching and joint mobilization exercises reduce call-center operators' musculoskeletal discomfort and fatigue.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to evaluate musculoskeletal discomfort and mental and physical fatigue in the call-center workers of an airline company before and after a supervised exercise program compared with rest breaks during the work shift.


BACKGROUND
This was a longitudinal pilot study conducted in a flight-booking call-center for an airline in São Paulo, Brazil. Occupational health activities are recommended to decrease the negative effects of the call-center working conditions. In practice, exercise programs are commonly recommended for computer workers, but their effects have not been studied in call-center operators.


METHODS
Sixty-four call-center operators participated in this study. Thirty-two subjects were placed into the experimental group and attended a 10-min daily exercise session for 2 months. Conversely, 32 participants were placed into the control group and took a 10-min daily rest break during the same period. Each subject was evaluated once a week by means of the Corlett-Bishop body map with a visual analog discomfort scale and the Chalder fatigue questionnaire.


RESULTS
Musculoskeletal discomfort decreased in both groups, but the reduction was only statistically significant for the spine and buttocks (p=0.04) and the sum of the segments (p=0.01) in the experimental group. In addition, the experimental group showed significant differences in the level of mental fatigue, especially in questions related to memory Rienzo, #181ff and tiredness (p=0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary results demonstrate that appropriately designed and supervised exercise programs may be more efficient than rest breaks in decreasing discomfort and fatigue levels in call-center operators.
Lacaze
Denise Helena de Castro
DH
Department of Speech, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil. denise.lacaze@terra.com.br
Sacco
Isabel de C N
Ide C
Rocha
Lys Esther
LE
Pereira
Carlos Alberto de Bragança
CA
Casarotto
Raquel Aparecida
RA
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D005222:Mental Fatigue / Q000517:prevention & control; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology*; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors