title: Intervention development to reduce musculoskeletal disorders: Is the process on target?
abstract: Work related musculoskeletal disorders remain an intractable OHS problem. In 2002, Haslam proposed applying the stage of change model to target ergonomics interventions and other health and safety prevention activities. The stage of change model proposes that taking into account an individual's readiness for change in developing intervention strategies is likely to improve uptake and success. This paper revisits Haslam's proposal in the context of interventions to reduce musculoskeletal disorders. Effective MSD interventions require a systematic approach and need to take into account a combination of measures. Research evidence suggests that in practice, those charged with the management of MSDs are not consistently adopting such an approach. Consequently, intervention development may not represent contemporary best practice. We propose a potential method of addressing this gap is the stage of change model, and use a case study to illustrate this argument in tailoring intervention development for managing MSDs.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: j.oakman@latrobe.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jodi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oakman
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rothmore
authors.affiliation: School of Management, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tappin
mesh_terms: D000066949:Biobehavioral Sciences; D006804:Ergonomics; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D006801:Humans; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D013597:Systems Analysis
keywords: Interventions; Musculoskeletal disorders; Stage of change; Systems approach; Transtheoretical