The Effect of Ergonomic Interventions of Work Posture Correction and a Short-Term Exercise Program on Fatigue, Musculoskeletal Discomfort, and Postural Risk in Female Carpet Weavers in Ravar County

This study will be conducted to investigate the effects of ergonomic interventions (including working posture correction and a short-term exercise program), which do not entail considerable financial costs, on fatigue, musculoskeletal complaints, and postural risk among female carpet weavers in Ravar County, Iran.

Using a computer-generated randomization sequence, clusters were allocated to three groups—Intervention 1 (postural correction), Intervention 2 (exercise), and control. Workshops were randomly numbered 1–6, and 12 triple blocks (each containing the three interventions) were randomly selected; workshops were then assigned to groups according to this sequence. Outcome assessment was blinded.

The study population will consist of female workers employed in public carpet-weaving workshops in Ravar County.

Inclusion criteria were as follows: having at least one year of weaving work experience and being aged 18 to 50 years. Exclusion criteria included: work-unrelated musculoskeletal discomforts; musculoskeletal complications resulting from accidents or incidents; chronic musculoskeletal diseases (muscle wear, disc herniation, and scoliosis); underlying neuropathic diseases (diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, gout, and osteoarthritis); psychological disorders (depression); being in the menstrual period (due to bias in self-reporting of discomfort); and pregnancy.

Intervention group 1: Posture correction intervention Intervention group 2: Exercise intervention Intervention group 3: The control group will not receive any intervention during the study period. However, upon completion of the study, both interventions will be delivered to the participants in this group.

Primary outcome: Postural score Secondary outcomes: discomfort, fatigue, and grip strength

Given the potential for between-group contamination, the unit of randomization in this study is the carpet-weaving workshop. First, a complete list of eligible workshops will be obtained through the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee (Carpet Provision for the Holy Shrines Project), and each workshop will be assigned a unique identification code. The workshops will then be screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 36 workshops will be selected by simple random sampling using SPSS. Considering the sample size of 216 participants (72 per group) and the selection of 36 workshops, an average of 6 individuals per workshop will enter the study (36 × 6 = 216; 12 workshops per group; 12 × 6 = 72). To allocate the workshops to the three groups—Intervention 1 (postural correction), Intervention 2 (exercise activity), and control—with a 1:1:1 ratio, block randomization with blocks of three and all six possible permutations will be used. Twelve triple blocks will be randomly selected, and the workshops will be assigned to the groups according to the randomization sequence. The randomization sequence will be generated using R software (the gtools package and the permutations function, along with set.seed for reproducibility) and, if needed, in SPSS by generating a random variable using RV.UNIFORM and sorting the cases (Sort Cases); then the permutation codes will be converted into group assignments.

All data may potentially be shared after de-identification of the participants; alternatively, only a subset of the data, such as that related to the primary outcome, may be available for sharing.

Commencement of the access period following publication of the results

Researchers employed in academic, scientific, and industrial institutions

No specific requirements exist apart from adherence to the principles of research ethics

Mostafa Mohammadian

A data request email should be sent to the corresponding author; subsequently, the data will be provided to them after a two-week period.