Development and Evaluation of an Online Multidimensional Musculoskeletal Health Programme

Globally, work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (WRMSs) have become one of the major public health issues, with musculoskeletal problems contributing to the largest proportion of lost work productivity. Literature has reported that grassroots working-class workers (also known as low-skilled workers) are the most vulnerable group to WRMSs as their work mostly exposes them to the identified risk factors. However, not many intervention studies have been conducted for low-skilled workers to prevent WRMSs. Based on the concept of the multidimensional approach from the literature, and the project team's previous evidence-based research results, this project will modify the project team's face-to-face evidence-based musculoskeletal health promotion program to an online mode with 4 weekly 45-minute workshops for low-skilled workers in the community under the Covid-19 pandemic situation. Thus, the project has the following specific objectives: (i) To determine the feasibility of conducting the proposed online program (ii) To examine the acceptability and satisfaction of the online program from the workers' perspectives (iii) To evaluate the potential effects of the online program on the primary outcomes: compliance with exercise regimes, improvement of musculoskeletal literacy, and reduction of the number of body parts with WRMSs (iv) To evaluate the potential effects of the online program on the secondary outcomes: reduction of adverse workstyle, improvement of exercise self-efficacy, mental health, body mass index, hip-waist ratio, and blood pressure measurements