Use of pedometer-driven walking to promote physical activity and improve health-related quality of life among meat proce
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Open Access
Use of pedometer-driven walking to promote physical activity and improve health-related quality of life among meat processing workers: a feasibility trial Suliman Mansi1*, Stephan Milosavljevic2, Steve Tumilty1, Paul Hendrick3 and G David Baxter1
Abstract Background: Current evidence supports the use of pedometers as effective motivational tools to promote physical activity and improve health-related quality of life in the general population. The aims of this study are to examine whether a pedometer-driven walking programme can improve health-related quality of life, and increase ambulatory activity in a population of meat processing workers when compared to a control group receiving educational material alone. Methods/design: A feasibility study employing a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design will collect data at three time points. A sample of up to 60 meat workers will be recruited and randomly assigned to either an intervention group N = 30 (12-week pedometer-driven walking program, brief intervention, and educational material), or control group N = 30 (educational material only). The primary outcomes of ambulatory activity, health-related quality of life, and functional capacity, will be evaluated at baseline, immediately following the 12-week intervention and then at three month post-intervention. Discussion: This paper describes the design of a feasibility randomized controlled trial, which aims to assess the effectiveness of the introduction of a workplace pedometer-driven walking program compared to normal lifestyle advice in meat processing workers. Trial Registration Number: (ANZCTR): 12613000087752. Keywords: Physical activity, Pedometers, Walking intervention, Quality of life
Introduction The meat processing industry is the second most important sector in the New Zealand (NZ) economy, employing approximately 24,000 workers, and contributing approximately 13% of New Zealand’s exports [1]. Meat processing involves different work stages that include slaughtering, boning, cutting, and packing, which demand different physical workloads and tasks. These often require prolonged periods in task-related nonneutral postures, potentially leading to an increased risk of occupational injuries. * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Centre for Health, Activity & Rehabilitation Research, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
Work-related disorders and occupational injuries reported to afflict workers in the meat processing industry are varied, with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) being a commonly reported health problem [2-4]. Relevant risk factors include hazardous working conditions [4,5] with repetitive movements, heavy physical workload, and sustained standing [6-8] that have been linked to increased levels of disability, sick leave, and work incapacity [9]. The prevalence of MSD among meat processing workers has been previously published [2]. For example meat processin
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