Objective. This study evaluated the effect of different types of activities during rest-break interventions on neck

Background:Call-center operators are exposed to working conditions that indicate an increased risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. Nevertheless, there are few studies regarding health and working condition in call-center operators. Thus, this study was designed to investigate the physical activity levels and prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in Thai call-center operators.Materials and Methods:A self-reported questionnaire was distributed to 150 operators at a call center to identify the physical activity levels, prevalence of LBP, personal characteristics, and associated work factors.Results:The questionnaire response rate was 70% (n = 105). The participants' age was 27.8 ± 3.1 years, height was 159.97 ± 6.26 cm, weight was 52.89 ± 12.89 kg, and females 86.7% (n = 91), and males 13.3% (n = 14). Participants worked at least 6 days every week, with an average of 8 hours each day. Sixty-one percent of them worked over time with an average 2 h/day. Forty percent of the participants had no exercise; 34.3% exercised 1–2 times/week. Those who did physical exercise spent less than 30 min/time. The overall self-reported prevalence of LBP was 65.7%, and they reported high severity of LBP for 42.9%. All participants reported that their LBP as recurring, and 62.9% reported that LBP was aggravating by sitting during working hours.Conclusion:The call-center operators had a sedentary work style. The majority of operators in this study had low level of physical activity and suffered from low back pain. The prevalence of low back pain was associated to their level of physical activity and work factors.

Peak rms and MF from the MVIC normalization method can be measured with sufficient repeatability in symptomatic office workers.

There is limited research on the effects of different types of rest-break interventions for visual display unit (VDU) operators on neck and shoulder postures. This study examined the effect of rest-break interventions on the neck and shoulder postures of symptomatic VDU operators during prolonged computer work. Thirty subjects were randomly and equally assigned to breaks with stretching, breaks with dynamic movement and passive breaks. Subjects performed the typing task for 60 min and received 3-min breaks after 20 min of work. The craniovertebral and forward shoulder angles were obtained from a 3D motion analysis system. Results showed that there were no significant differences in the craniovertebral and forward shoulder angles among any types of rest breaks. It can be concluded that the three types of rest-break interventions had positive effects on neck and shoulder posture during prolonged computer terminal work.