25premus184 10.3205/25premus184 urn:nbn:de:0183-25premus1847 Meeting Abstract Jennie Jennie Jackson J

University Of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden

author Januario Januario Leticia B LB

University Of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden

author Mathiassen Mathiassen Svend Erik SE

University Of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden

author German Medical Science GMS Publishing House

Düsseldorf

610 20250909 engl This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Dieser Artikel ist ein Open-Access-Artikel und steht unter den Lizenzbedingungen der Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (Namensnennung). M0625 184 12th International Scientific Conference on the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders PREMUS 2025 Symposium SYM 8 Tübingen 20250909 20250912 184 TextIntroduction: Repetitive work is associated with increased risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). We collaborated with a commercial laundromat to design and implement a job rotation (JR) inspired by the Goldilocks Work paradigm. The JR was designed to increase within-worker variability and positively impact worker health. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the JR by assessing pre-post changes in within-worker variability (assessed as within-worker variance) and health related outcomes. Methods: This pre-post case study had a 12-month follow-up after company implementation of the co-created JR intervention. All day-shift operations employees (N=57) were included in the JR. We measured trapezius (Trap) and forearm (FA) muscle activity at baseline for all 21 JR tasks and created a task exposure matrix (TEM). Estimates of within-worker variance were made for all individual workers at baseline, for the planned JR, and for the actual JR observed at follow-up using the TEM combined with the tasks performed (self-reported at baseline and follow-up) and the planned JR schedule. Variance estimates for the planned and actual JR were compared to baseline estimates to determine the theoretical and actual effects of the JR. Self-reported health-related outcomes on fatigue, recovery and MSD symptoms were collected by survey at follow-up. JR delivery and adherence to were assessed.Results: At follow-up, the JR intervention had been delivered to 65% of all day-shift operations workers, all of whom demonstrated adherence to the JR. The planned JR showed the potential to increase the average within-worker variance in Trap and FA muscle activity by 45% compared with baseline. At follow-up, the actual JR was shown to have achieved approximately 80% of the planned increase. Positive health-related changes were also evident at follow-up: approximately 40% of participants reported both lower physical and mental occupational demands, and over 50% of workers reported less fatigue after work and feeling more rested and recovered when starting a workday at follow-up compared to baseline. The number of workers experiencing upper extremity MSD problems ‘fairly often’ or ‘very often’ showed a slight increase at follow-up compared to baseline. Discussion: This is the first JR study to demonstrate a positive effect on both within-worker variability and health related variables. Consideration of variability is key to JR studies since the proposed effects of a JR on improved musculoskeletal health are expected occur through JR-related increases in variability. Further, the positive findings on decreased self-reported physical and mental demands and fatigue and increased recovery lend support for the theory that a re-distribution of existing tasks can increase the average within-worker variability for the workers in the JR and that this increase may lead to health benefits. However, no positive changes in MSD were associated with the JR. Conclusion: This case study demonstrated both the potential (planned) and actual effectiveness of the JR to increase within-worker variability in Trap and FA muscle activity. Further, the findings suggest the JR had positive impacts on health-related outcomes. 0 0 0 0