title: Effects of the Workplace Health Promotion Activities Soccer and Zumba on Muscle Pain, Work Ability and Perceived Physical Exertion among Female Hospital Employees.
abstract: This 40-week workplace physical training RCT investigated the effect of soccer and Zumba, respectively, on muscle pain intensity and duration, work ability, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during work among female hospital employees.
  
  
  
  107 hospital employees were cluster-randomized into two training groups, and a control group. The training was conducted outside working hours as two-three 1-h sessions per week for the first 12 weeks, and continued as one-two 1-h sessions per week for the last 28 weeks. Muscle pain intensity and duration, work ability, and RPE during work were measured at baseline and after 12 and 40 weeks.
  
  
  
  After 12 weeks, both the soccer (-1.9, 95% CI, -3.0, -0.8, P = 0.001) and the Zumba group (-1.3, 95% CI, -2.3, -0.3, P = 0.01) reduced the pain intensity (on a scale from 0 to 10) in the neck-shoulder region (eta squared = 0.109), whereas only the soccer group (-1.9, 95% CI, -3.2, -0.7, P = 0.002, eta squared = 0.092) showed a reduction after 40 weeks referencing the control group. After 40 weeks, both the soccer (-16.4 days, 95% CI, -29.6, -3.2, P<0.02) and the Zumba group (-16.6 days, 95% CI, -28.9, -4.2, P<0.01) reduced the pain duration during the past 3 months in the neck-shoulder region (eta squared = 0.077). No significant effects on intensity or duration of pain in the lower back, RPE during work or work ability were found.
  
  
  
  The present study indicates that workplace initiated soccer and Zumba training improve neck-shoulder pain intensity as well as duration among female hospital employees.
  
  
  
  International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register ISRCTN 61986892.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Public Health, Hedmark University College, Elverum, Norway; Department of Sports, University of Nordland, Bodø, Norway; Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Human Physiology, Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Svein
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barene
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Human Physiology, Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krustrup
authors.affiliation: National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holtermann
mesh_terms: D003615:Dancing / Q000193:education / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D063806:Myalgia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012916:Soccer / Q000193:education / Q000502:physiology; D017132:Workplace