title: Effectiveness of job rotation for preventing work-related musculoskeletal diseases: a cluster randomised controlled trial.
abstract: Job rotation is an organisational strategy widely used on assembly lines in manufacturing industries to mitigate workers' exposure so as to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of job rotation for reducing working hours lost due to sick leave resulting from musculoskeletal diseases.
  
  
  
  The design consisted of a 1-year cluster randomised controlled trial with a blinded assessor. Production sectors of the textile industry were randomised to intervention and control groups. Both groups received ergonomic training. The intervention group performed a job rotation programme. The primary outcome measure was number of working hours lost due to sick leave as a result of musculoskeletal disease (ICD-10). The secondary outcome measures were musculoskeletal symptoms (Yes/No), risk factors for musculoskeletal diseases (0-10), psychosocial factors and fatigue (0-100), general health (0-100), and productivity (0-10). All secondary outcomes were measured at baseline and 12-month follow-up.
  
  
  
  At the 12-month follow-up, both groups showed an increase in the number of working hours lost due to sick leave for musculoskeletal disease. There was no significant difference between the job rotation intervention group (mean deviation -5.6 hours, 95% CI -25.0 to 13.8) at the 12-month follow-up and the control group. There were no significant differences between groups for the secondary outcomes (p>0.05).
  
  
  
  The job rotation programme was not effective in reducing the number of working hours lost due to sick leave, decreasing the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms, or improving perception of musculoskeletal pain and workplace risk factors, psychosocial risk factors and productivity.
  
  
  
  NCT01979731.
authors.affiliation: Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.|Department of Physical Therapy, União Metropolitana de Ensino e Cultura, Itabuna, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Luiza Caires
authors.initials: MLC
authors.lastname: Comper
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.|Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Jack Tigh
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Dennerlein
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, União Metropolitana de Ensino e Cultura, Itabuna, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela Dos Santos
authors.initials: GDS
authors.lastname: Evangelista
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rodrigues da Silva
authors.affiliation: Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.|Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosimeire Simprini
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Padula
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D016272:Occupational Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D018582:Sick Leave; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013784:Textiles; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Industrial Workers; Job design; Physical exposure; task rotation