Staying Strong On The Job: A Study Of Exercise Benefits And Beliefs In Agricultural Workers

Roughly 50% of agricultural nursery workers report musculoskeletal dysfunction or injuries, such as sprains/strains. Exercise has been shown to improve musculoskeletal health, but there is a paucity of literature on the benefits of exercise in nursery workers. PURPOSE: This mixed-methods study aimed to elucidate the benefits of exercise in nursery workers and to explore their beliefs and barriers to personal health. METHODS: Twenty-five workers were randomized into an eight-week Stay Strong, Stay Healthy (SSSH) exercise program (n = 14) or Control group (n = 11). Those assigned to SSSH performed eight exercises twice weekly, while Controls maintained physical activity habits. Pre and post measures included health, pain, and sleep surveys and 30-second sit-to-stand, timed-up-and-go (TUG), five sit-to-stand (5STS), 10-meter walk, hand grip, back scratch, Sit-n-Reach (SnR), and stork stand balance (SSB) tests. Lastly, interviews were conducted at both time points to gauge perceptions and barriers of health behaviors such as exercise. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests to assess baseline and magnitude of change differences. Paired t-tests with Bonferroni Corrections were used for within group analyses; all α ≤ 0.05. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted on qualitative data. RESULTS: Over time, those in SSSH improved TUG, 5STS, SSB, and SnR performance (all p ≤ 0.039). Qualitative analyses support these findings as SSSH participants’ noted improved ability to carry out their work (Table 1) and perceived SSSH as being valuable. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that SSSH improves nursery workers’ lower body strength, power, flexibility, and balance, while also improving workers’ personal confidence to complete work-related tasks more effectively. Additionally, participants noted a general enjoyment of SSSH pointing to the potential value of it as an on-site exercise program to improve nursery workers’ musculoskeletal health.This research was funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Grant #G10006060)