Objectives: Office staff in health networks are exposed to adverse psychosocial factors and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) associated with improper working posture, which may reduce productivity. The present study aimed to examine the relationships between psychosocial factors and WMSDs with productivity among administrative staff of a health network and to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational–ergonomic intervention on these outcomes.
Methods: This quasi-experimental pretest–posttest study was conducted among 150 employees of the Behbahan health network in Iran. Data were collected using the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III), the Hersey and Goldsmith ACHIEVE productivity questionnaire, and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Working posture was assessed using the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) checklist in a random subsample (n=15). A three-month educational–ergonomic intervention was delivered in small groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 26), and statistical significance was set at 0.05.
Results: Overall psychosocial score was positively correlated with total productivity (r=0.633, p<0.01). The WMSDs demonstrated significant negative correlations with selected productivity dimensions (p<0.05). After the intervention, psychosocial dimensions and overall productivity improved significantly (p<0.001), with a marked increase in total productivity (2.82 to 4.03; Cohen’s d=1.51). The WMSDs decreased significantly (5.36 to 4.24; p<0.001). Moreover, no significant change was observed in the ROSA score (p=0.640).
Conclusion: The educational–ergonomic intervention improved workplace psychosocial conditions and reduced musculoskeletal complaints, thereby increasing productivity among administrative staff in the health network. In addition, it is recommended to conduct controlled studies.
