$3.$ Pereira M$,$ Comans T$,$ Sj$$gaard G$,$ Straker L$,$ Melloh M$,$ O'Leary S$,$ Chen X$,$ Johnston V$.$ The impact of

workplace ergonomics and neck$-$specific exercise versus ergonomics and health promotion interventions

on office worker productivity: A cluster$-$randomized trial. Scand J Work Environ Health. $2019$ Jan

$1$;$45(1)$:$42-52.$ doi: $10\mathrm{.}5271/$sjweh$\mathrm{.}3760.$ Epub $2018$ Aug $22.$ PMID: $30132008.$ Objectives: Using an

employer's perspective, this study aimed to compare the immediate and longer$-$term impact of workplace

ergonomics and neck$-$specific exercise versus ergonomics and health promotion information on health$-$

related productivity among a general population of office workers and those with neck pain. Methods: A

prospective one$-$year cluster randomized trial was conducted. Participants received an individualized

workstation ergonomics intervention, combined with $12$ weeks of either workplace neck$-$specific exercises

or health promotion information. Health$-$related productivity at baseline, post$-$intervention and $12-$months

was measured with the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire. Intention$-$to$-$treat analysis was

performed using multilevel mixed models. Results: We recruited $763$ office workers from $14$ organizations

and allocated them to $100$ clusters. For the general population of office workers, monetized productivity

loss at $12$ months $[$AU$$1464($standard deviation $[$SD$]1318)$ versus AU$$1563($SD$=1039)$; P$=0\mathrm{.}023]$; and

presenteeism at $12$ months $[2\mathrm{.}0($SD $1\mathrm{.}2)$ versus $2\mathrm{.}4($SD $1\mathrm{.}4)$; P$=0\mathrm{.}007]$ was lower in the exercise group

compared to those in the health promotion information group. For office workers with neck pain, exercise

participants had lower sickness absenteeism at $12$ months compared to health promotion information

participants $[0\mathrm{.}7$ days $($SD $1\mathrm{.}0)$ versus $1\mathrm{.}4$ days $($SD $3\mathrm{.}1)$; P$-=0\mathrm{.}012],$ despite a short$-$term increase in sickness

absenteeism post$-$intervention compared to baseline for the exercise group $[1\mathrm{.}2$ days $($SD $2\mathrm{.}2)$ versus $0\mathrm{.}6$

days $($SD $0\mathrm{.}9)$; P$<0\mathrm{.}001].$ Conclusion: A workplace intervention combining ergonomics and neck$-$specific

exercise offers possible benefits for sickness presenteeism and health$-$related productivity loss among a

general population of office workers and sickness absenteeism for office workers with neck pain in the

longer$-$term.

Type of publication:

A$.\_\_\_\_\_$ Original research article B$.\_\_\_\_\_$ Review Article

If original, major study design branch: If review, type of review article

$\_\_\_\_\_$ Quantitative study design $\_\_\_\_\_$ Narrative review

$\_\_\_\_\_$ Qualitative study design $\_\_\_\_\_$ Systematic review