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Effect of Ergonomic Education on Ergonomic Practices among Office Workers in Nigeria

Abstract

Ergonomic health is an important component of occupational health, particularly among office workers who spend extended periods performing computer-based and sedentary tasks. Poor ergonomic practices, including inappropriate workstation arrangement, prolonged static sitting, awkward postures, improper positioning of computer equipment, repetitive movements, and inadequate breaks, may contribute to musculoskeletal discomfort and other work-related health problems. Office workers may be particularly vulnerable because of prolonged computer use, extended sitting, repetitive tasks, high workloads, and limited awareness of appropriate ergonomic principles. Ergonomic education provides office workers with knowledge and practical skills relating to appropriate workstation arrangement, correct sitting posture, computer and monitor positioning, keyboard and mouse placement, appropriate chair adjustment, safe lifting where relevant, posture variation, work-break scheduling, stretching, and other strategies for reducing ergonomic risks. Ergonomic practices refer to behaviours adopted by office workers to maintain appropriate body posture and workstation conditions and reduce exposure to ergonomic hazards during work. In Nigeria, inadequate ergonomic awareness, poorly designed workstations, limited occupational health programmes, prolonged computer use, and insufficient workplace ergonomics training may affect the adoption of appropriate ergonomic practices among office workers. Effective ergonomic education may improve workers' knowledge, risk perception, practical skills, and adoption of appropriate workplace ergonomic practices. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of ergonomic education on ergonomic practices among office workers in Nigeria. The study is anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, the Health Belief Model, and the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural capabilities, social influences, and environmental conditions in shaping workplace behaviour, providing a basis for understanding office workers' adoption of ergonomic practices. The Health Belief Model explains preventive occupational health behaviour through perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action. The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework provides a basis for examining how improved knowledge and attitudes resulting from ergonomic education may influence ergonomic practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how ergonomic education may influence ergonomic practices among office workers in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. Primary data will be collected from office workers in selected public and private organizations in Nigeria using a structured self-administered questionnaire and an observational ergonomic assessment checklist. A multistage sampling technique will be employed to select states, organizations, departments or units, and eligible office workers. Where feasible, selected organizations or worker groups will be assigned to intervention and comparison groups. Office workers in the intervention group will receive structured ergonomic education covering workstation arrangement, appropriate sitting posture, chair and desk adjustment, monitor positioning, keyboard and mouse placement, correct computer-use posture, posture variation, appropriate work breaks, stretching and movement, manual handling principles where relevant, and strategies for reducing ergonomic risks. Ergonomic practices will be assessed using indicators such as appropriate sitting posture, workstation adjustment, monitor positioning, keyboard and mouse placement, appropriate chair use, posture variation, regular work breaks, stretching or movement during work, and adherence to recommended ergonomic principles. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize workers' sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, ergonomic knowledge, exposure to education, and ergonomic practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired-sample tests, independent-sample tests, and logistic or multiple regression analysis, will be used to determine the effect of ergonomic education on ergonomic practices. Where appropriate, observational ergonomic assessment scores will be compared before and after the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability of the research instrument, model assumptions, goodness of fit, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that ergonomic education has a significant positive effect on ergonomic practices among office workers in Nigeria. Office workers exposed to structured ergonomic education are expected to demonstrate improved knowledge of ergonomic hazards and greater adoption of recommended workplace practices. Education may improve workers' sitting posture, workstation arrangement, computer positioning, use of appropriate work breaks, posture variation, and engagement in stretching or movement activities. It may also improve workers' ability to recognize ergonomic risks and make appropriate adjustments to their workstations. However, education alone may not guarantee sustained ergonomic practices because workers may continue to face barriers such as poorly designed office furniture, inadequate workstation space, organizational work demands, prolonged computer use, limited access to adjustable equipment, and lack of institutional ergonomic policies. Consequently, ergonomic education is expected to be most effective when supported by appropriate office furniture and equipment, ergonomic workstation assessments, organizational policies, reasonable work schedules, regular breaks, and supportive occupational health programmes. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on occupational health, ergonomics, workplace health, musculoskeletal disorder prevention, health education, and public health in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on the effect of ergonomic education on ergonomic practices among office workers. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, public and private organizations, occupational health professionals, human resource managers, workplace safety officers, employers, labour organizations, public health practitioners, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving workplace ergonomics. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating ergonomic education into employee training and occupational health programmes, improving workstation design, promoting appropriate work-break practices, conducting routine ergonomic assessments, and strengthening workplace policies aimed at reducing ergonomic risks among office workers across Nigeria.

Keywords: Ergonomic education, ergonomic practices, office workers, workplace ergonomics, occupational health, workstation design, musculoskeletal health, computer use, workplace safety, health education, occupational health promotion, public health, Nigeria.