No evidence for an effect of working from home on neck pain and neck disability among Swiss office workers: Short-term impact of COVID-19

the NEXpro collaboration group

doi:10.1007/s00586-021-06829-w

No evidence for an effect of working from home on neck pain and neck disability among Swiss office workers: Short-term impact of COVID-19

the NEXpro collaboration group

Institute of Health Sciences

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of working from home on neck pain (NP) among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants from two Swiss organisations, aged 18–65 years and working from home during the lockdown (n = 69) were included. Baseline data collected in January 2020 before the lockdown (office work) were compared with follow-up data in April 2020 during lockdown (working from home). The primary outcome of NP was assessed with a measure of intensity and disability. Secondary outcomes were quality of workstation ergonomics, number of work breaks, and time spent working at the computer. Two linear mixed effects models were fitted to the data to estimate the change in NP. Results: No clinically relevant change in the average NP intensity and neck disability was found between measurement time points. Each working hour at the computer increased NP intensity by 0.36 points (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.62) indicating strong evidence. No such effect was found for neck disability. Each work break taken reduced neck disability by 2.30 points (95% CI: − 4.18 to − 0.42, evidence). No such effect was found for NP intensity. There is very strong evidence that workstation ergonomics was poorer at home. Conclusion: The number of work breaks and hours spent at the computer seem to have a greater effect on NP than the place of work (office, at home), measurement time point (before COVID-19, during lockdown) or the workstation ergonomics. Further research should investigate the effect of social and psychological factors. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04169646. Registered 15 November 2019—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04169646.

Original language	English
Journal	European Spine Journal
Volume	30
Issue number	6
Pages (from-to)	1699-1707
Number of pages	9
ISSN	0940-6719
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-021-06829-w
Publication status	Published - 01.06.2021

Funding

The authors thank the Swiss National Science Foundation (32003B_182389) for financial support. The following are members of the NEXpro collaboration group: Andrea M. Aegerter (Switzerland), Marco Barbero (Switzerland), Beatrice Brunner (Switzerland), Jon Cornwall (New Zealand), Yara Da Cruz Pereira (Switzerland), Manja Deforth (Switzerland), Oliver Distler (Switzerland), Julia Dratva (Switzerland), Holger Dressel (Switzerland), Tobias Egli (Switzerland), Achim Elfering (Switzerland), Markus J Ernst (Switzerland), Irene Etzer-Hofer (Switzerland), Deborah Falla (United Kingdom), Michelle Gisler (Switzerland), Michelle Haas (Switzerland), Venerina Johnston (Australia), Sandro Klaus (Switzerland), Gina M Kobelt (Switzerland), Kerstin Lüdtke (Germany), Hannu Luomajoki (Switzerland), Markus Melloh (project leader, Switzerland), Corinne Nicoletti (Switzerland), Seraina Niggli (Switzerland), Salome Richard (Switzerland), Nadine Sax (Switzerland), Katja Schülke (Switzerland), Gisela Sjøgaard (Denmark), Lukas Staub (Australia), Thomas Volken (Switzerland) and Thomas Zweig (Switzerland). The authors thank the Swiss National Science Foundation (32003B_182389) for financial support. The following are members of the NEXpro collaboration group: Andrea M. Aegerter (Switzerland), Marco Barbero (Switzerland), Beatrice Brunner (Switzerland), Jon Cornwall (New Zealand), Yara Da Cruz Pereira (Switzerland), Manja Deforth (Switzerland), Oliver Distler (Switzerland), Julia Dratva (Switzerland), Holger Dressel (Switzerland), Tobias Egli (Switzerland), Achim Elfering (Switzerland), Markus J Ernst (Switzerland), Irene Etzer-Hofer (Switzerland), Deborah Falla (United Kingdom), Michelle Gisler (Switzerland), Michelle Haas (Switzerland), Venerina Johnston (Australia), Sandro Klaus (Switzerland), Gina M Kobelt (Switzerland), Kerstin Lüdtke (Germany), Hannu Luomajoki (Switzerland), Markus Melloh (project leader, Switzerland), Corinne Nicoletti (Switzerland), Seraina Niggli (Switzerland), Salome Richard (Switzerland), Nadine Sax (Switzerland), Katja Schülke (Switzerland), Gisela Sjøgaard (Denmark), Lukas Staub (Australia), Thomas Volken (Switzerland) and Thomas Zweig (Switzerland).

Research Areas and Centers

Health Sciences

DFG Research Classification Scheme

2.23-03 Experimental and Theoretical Network Neuroscience
2.23-05 Experimental Models for the Understanding of Nervous System Diseases

Coronavirus related work

Research on SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/s00586-021-06829-w

Cite this

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title = "No evidence for an effect of working from home on neck pain and neck disability among Swiss office workers: Short-term impact of COVID-19",

abstract = "Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of working from home on neck pain (NP) among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants from two Swiss organisations, aged 18–65 years and working from home during the lockdown (n = 69) were included. Baseline data collected in January 2020 before the lockdown (office work) were compared with follow-up data in April 2020 during lockdown (working from home). The primary outcome of NP was assessed with a measure of intensity and disability. Secondary outcomes were quality of workstation ergonomics, number of work breaks, and time spent working at the computer. Two linear mixed effects models were fitted to the data to estimate the change in NP. Results: No clinically relevant change in the average NP intensity and neck disability was found between measurement time points. Each working hour at the computer increased NP intensity by 0.36 points (95\% CI: 0.09 to 0.62) indicating strong evidence. No such effect was found for neck disability. Each work break taken reduced neck disability by 2.30 points (95\% CI: − 4.18 to − 0.42, evidence). No such effect was found for NP intensity. There is very strong evidence that workstation ergonomics was poorer at home. Conclusion: The number of work breaks and hours spent at the computer seem to have a greater effect on NP than the place of work (office, at home), measurement time point (before COVID-19, during lockdown) or the workstation ergonomics. Further research should investigate the effect of social and psychological factors. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04169646. Registered 15 November 2019—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04169646.",

author = "\{the NEXpro collaboration group\} and Aegerter, \{Andrea M.\} and Manja Deforth and Venerina Johnston and Gisela Sj{\o}gaard and Thomas Volken and Hannu Luomajoki and Julia Dratva and Holger Dressel and Oliver Distler and Achim Elfering and Markus Melloh and Marco Barbero and Beatrice Brunner and Jon Cornwall and \{Da Cruz Pereira\}, Yara and Tobias Egli and Ernst, \{Markus J.\} and Irene Etzer-Hofer and Deborah Falla and Michelle Gisler and Michelle Haas and Sandro Klaus and Kobelt, \{Gina M.\} and Kerstin L{\"u}dtke and Corinne Nicoletti and Seraina Niggli and Salome Richard and Nadine Sax and Katja Sch{\"u}lke and Lukas Staub and Thomas Zweig",

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doi = "10.1007/s00586-021-06829-w",

language = "English",

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T1 - No evidence for an effect of working from home on neck pain and neck disability among Swiss office workers

T2 - Short-term impact of COVID-19

AU - the NEXpro collaboration group

AU - Aegerter, Andrea M.

AU - Deforth, Manja

AU - Johnston, Venerina

AU - Sjøgaard, Gisela

AU - Volken, Thomas

AU - Luomajoki, Hannu

AU - Dratva, Julia

AU - Dressel, Holger

AU - Distler, Oliver

AU - Elfering, Achim

AU - Melloh, Markus

AU - Barbero, Marco

AU - Brunner, Beatrice

AU - Cornwall, Jon

AU - Da Cruz Pereira, Yara

AU - Egli, Tobias

AU - Ernst, Markus J.

AU - Etzer-Hofer, Irene

AU - Falla, Deborah

AU - Gisler, Michelle

AU - Haas, Michelle

AU - Klaus, Sandro

AU - Kobelt, Gina M.

AU - Lüdtke, Kerstin

AU - Nicoletti, Corinne

AU - Niggli, Seraina

AU - Richard, Salome

AU - Sax, Nadine

AU - Schülke, Katja

AU - Staub, Lukas

AU - Zweig, Thomas

PY - 2021/6/1

Y1 - 2021/6/1

N2 - Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of working from home on neck pain (NP) among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants from two Swiss organisations, aged 18–65 years and working from home during the lockdown (n = 69) were included. Baseline data collected in January 2020 before the lockdown (office work) were compared with follow-up data in April 2020 during lockdown (working from home). The primary outcome of NP was assessed with a measure of intensity and disability. Secondary outcomes were quality of workstation ergonomics, number of work breaks, and time spent working at the computer. Two linear mixed effects models were fitted to the data to estimate the change in NP. Results: No clinically relevant change in the average NP intensity and neck disability was found between measurement time points. Each working hour at the computer increased NP intensity by 0.36 points (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.62) indicating strong evidence. No such effect was found for neck disability. Each work break taken reduced neck disability by 2.30 points (95% CI: − 4.18 to − 0.42, evidence). No such effect was found for NP intensity. There is very strong evidence that workstation ergonomics was poorer at home. Conclusion: The number of work breaks and hours spent at the computer seem to have a greater effect on NP than the place of work (office, at home), measurement time point (before COVID-19, during lockdown) or the workstation ergonomics. Further research should investigate the effect of social and psychological factors. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04169646. Registered 15 November 2019—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04169646.

AB - Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of working from home on neck pain (NP) among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants from two Swiss organisations, aged 18–65 years and working from home during the lockdown (n = 69) were included. Baseline data collected in January 2020 before the lockdown (office work) were compared with follow-up data in April 2020 during lockdown (working from home). The primary outcome of NP was assessed with a measure of intensity and disability. Secondary outcomes were quality of workstation ergonomics, number of work breaks, and time spent working at the computer. Two linear mixed effects models were fitted to the data to estimate the change in NP. Results: No clinically relevant change in the average NP intensity and neck disability was found between measurement time points. Each working hour at the computer increased NP intensity by 0.36 points (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.62) indicating strong evidence. No such effect was found for neck disability. Each work break taken reduced neck disability by 2.30 points (95% CI: − 4.18 to − 0.42, evidence). No such effect was found for NP intensity. There is very strong evidence that workstation ergonomics was poorer at home. Conclusion: The number of work breaks and hours spent at the computer seem to have a greater effect on NP than the place of work (office, at home), measurement time point (before COVID-19, during lockdown) or the workstation ergonomics. Further research should investigate the effect of social and psychological factors. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04169646. Registered 15 November 2019—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04169646.

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DO - 10.1007/s00586-021-06829-w

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AN - SCOPUS:85111385253

SN - 0940-6719

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SP - 1699

EP - 1707

JO - European Spine Journal

JF - European Spine Journal

IS - 6

ER -

No evidence for an effect of working from home on neck pain and neck disability among Swiss office workers: Short-term impact of COVID-19

Abstract

Funding

Research Areas and Centers

DFG Research Classification Scheme

Coronavirus related work

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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