Nursing Rehabilitation in Training Municipal Employees for Active Breaks and Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders
Description
Considering the stated objective, an exploratory, descriptive, quantitative study design was chosen, aiming to identify the perception of a phenomenon to obtain an overview of a situation or population (Fortin, 2009; Grove, Burns, and Gray, 2013; Polit and Beck, 2014). Given that the overall objective was to describe municipal employees' perceptions of active break training in preventing musculoskeletal disorders, a questionnaire adapted from the Kirkpatrick assessment model was used (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2016; Tamkin, Yarnall, and Kerrin, 2002). This questionnaire was administered online platform, ensuring a single response per participant. The invitation to participate was sent directly to the email addresses of employees who attended the training. Data collection was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, strategically designed in three distinct sections. Data collection was carried out between agost and setember 2025. Statistical Analysis The selection of statistical tests was tailored to the nature of the variables involved (Maroco, 2011). To investigate associations between variables, the chi-square test was used, or alternatively, when the assumptions for its application were not met, the likelihood ratio, Fisher's exact test, and linear-by-linear association. The likelihood ratio, justified by the small sample size, is particularly sensitive to deviations from independence in tables with low counts. Fisher's exact test was applied when it was found that more than 20% of the cells in the contingency table had expected count below 5%, ensuring the validity of the results. The linear-by-linear association was particularly useful for verifying whether there is a direct and ordered relationship between the categories of variables. In all analyses, the level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05 (Maroco, 2011; Rocha, Martins, and Pascoal, 2021). Statistical treatments were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 30 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) . Active breaks implemented by Rehabilitation Nurses represent a promising strategy for preventing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders, especially in work environments with repetitive tasks, static postures, or prolonged sedentary work. Given the labor characteristics of city halls, which have limited human resources, this could be a solution when implemented continuously among their employees.
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Data collection and analysis were conducted within the framework of an exploratory, descriptive, and quantitative study, following the STROBE notification protocol to ensure methodological transparency. The sample consisted of 28 employees from a Parish Council in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, recruited using a convenience sampling technique. The recruitment, coordinated by Human Resources Management, intentionally integrated a diversity of professional profiles. This strategy aimed to foster interdisciplinary learning and enrich the discussion, allowing for the sharing of knowledge between roles with different occupational health demands. To collect employees' perceptions of active break training in the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, a self-administered questionnaire adapted from the Kirkpatrick assessment model was used. The instrument was structured in three distinct sections: sample characterization, training evaluation, and perception of the impact of the training. The questionnaire was administered online using the Google Forms® platform to ensure confidentiality and a single response per participant. Invitations were sent directly to the email addresses of the employees who attended the training. Data collection took place between August and September 2025. Ethics and Consent The study obtained the necessary written authorization from the local authority and a positive opinion from the Ethics Committee of the Lisbon School of Nursing (No. 1901/2025). All ethical procedures followed the Declaration of Helsinki and the European Data Protection Act. Statistical Analysis and Software The statistical treatment of the data followed a mixed approach of univariate and bivariate analysis. The selection of tests was adapted to the nature of the variables and the sample size: Primarily, the Chi-square test and the Likelihood Ratio, Fisher's Exact Test, and Linear-by-Linear Association (to verify ordered relationships) were used. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. All analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 30.
Institutions
- Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa Unidade de Investigacao e Desenvolvimento em Enfermagem