The Influence of Ergonomic Interventions on Employee Stress and Physical Symptoms.

Abstract

A recent report by the GAO (1997) indicates that private sector employers spend as much as $20 billion annually for employee injuries and illnesses due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). While the etiologic mechanisms are poorly understood, there is increasing evidence that psychosocial risk factors related to the job and work environment play a role in the development of work-related MSDs. A longitudinal study was completed to determine the influence of six psychosocial factors and two cost-effective ergonomics interventions on physical discomfort and stress scores reported by employees within a Federal Aviation Administration organization. The results of the study revealed that stress scores decreased significantly across time. However, physical symptom scores did not change across time, nor were they affected by the ergonomic interventions. Two psychosocial factors provided significant and reliable adjustments to stress and physical discomfort scores.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADA364891

Entities

People

  • Clara A. William
  • Jody A. Worley
  • Kurt M. Joseph
  • Larry L. Bailey
  • Richard C. Thompson

Organizations

  • Federal Aviation Administration

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aviation Medicine
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Factor Analysis
  • Governments
  • Human Factors Engineering
  • Intervention
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Lower Extremity
  • Musculoskeletal Diseases
  • New York
  • Occupational Safety And Health
  • Risk Factors
  • Surveys
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Upper Extremity
  • Workload

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

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