Staying Strong on the Job: Physical and Psychosocial Benefits of Exercise for Agricultural Workers

Roughly 70% agricultural nursery workers report musculoskeletal dysfunction and fall-related injuries. Exercise has been shown to improve musculoskeletal health and fall risk, but the literature on the benefits of exercise in nursery workers is rare. This mixed-methods feasibility study aimed to elucidate the benefits of an employee-sponsored exercise class for nursery workers. Twenty-five workers were randomized into either the Stay Strong, Stay Healthy (SSSH) resistance training program (n = 14) or control group (n = 11) for 8 weeks. Those assigned to SSSH performed eight exercises twice weekly at their workplace during business hours, while controls were asked to maintain their habits. Pre/post eight-week measures included health, pain, and sleep surveys and functional performance tests of static and dynamic balance, strength, and flexibility. Finally, interviews were conducted pre/post to gauge participants’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators for health behaviors such as exercise. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests to assess baseline differences and two-way, mixed repeated measures analyses of variance models to observe interactions and main effects of time and group for all measures, α ≤ 0.05. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted on interview data. There were no baseline differences between SSSH and controls (all p ≥ .061). Participants were on average 39 years old, had a BMI of 25.5 kg/m2, reported poor sleep quality (PSQI 6.2), and 220 min/wk of physical activity. Over time, timed-up-and-go, 5 sit-to-stand, hand grip strength, and lower-body flexibility improved (all p ≤ .019). Post-hoc analyses revealed pre/post-performance changes only in the SSSH group (all p ≤ .035). Further, qualitative interviews suggest that employee-sponsored SSSH programming improved many areas of nursery workers’ physical, interpersonal, and psychological health. Specifically, four themes emerged, which included labor-intensive job demands as a barrier to exercise engagement, multidimensional health benefits of SSSH, improved job performance after SSSH, and inspiration and insufficiency of SSSH. For example, those in the SSSH group noted improved personal confidence to complete work-related tasks. Conclusion: Employee-sponsored SSSH improved physical performance associated with falls and injury risk and most participants noted a general enjoyment of and benefits from SSSH pointing to the potential value of it to improve nursery workers’ injury risk and health.

约70%的农业苗圃工人报告存在肌肉骨骼功能障碍与跌倒相关损伤。已有研究证实，运动可改善肌肉骨骼健康状况并降低跌倒风险，但针对苗圃工人运动益处的相关文献却较为匮乏。本项混合方法可行性研究旨在阐明员工赞助的运动课程对苗圃工人的益处。

本研究共纳入25名工人，将其随机分为「保持强健，保持健康（Stay Strong, Stay Healthy, SSSH）」抗阻训练组（n=14）与对照组（n=11），干预周期为8周。其中，SSSH组受试者需于工作时段在工作场所每周完成两次训练，共包含8项训练动作；对照组则被要求维持日常活动习惯不变。

8周干预前后，研究人员对受试者开展了多维度评估，涵盖健康、疼痛与睡眠相关问卷，以及静态平衡、动态平衡、肌肉力量与柔韧性的功能性能测试。此外，研究前后均开展了访谈，以了解参与者对运动等健康行为的阻碍因素与促进因素的认知。

统计分析方面，采用独立样本t检验评估两组的基线差异；针对所有评估指标，采用双向混合重复测量方差分析模型，观察时间与分组的交互效应及主效应，检验水准设定为α≤0.05。对访谈数据则开展归纳式主题分析。

基线评估结果显示，SSSH组与对照组的各项基线特征无显著差异（所有p值≥0.061）。受试者平均年龄为39岁，身体质量指数（BMI）为25.5kg/m²，自述睡眠质量较差（匹兹堡睡眠质量指数Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI得分为6.2），每周体育活动时长为220分钟。随干预时间推移，受试者的计时起身行走测试、5次坐站测试、握力与下肢柔韧性均得到显著改善（所有p值≤0.019）。事后分析结果显示，仅SSSH组出现了干预前后的性能变化（所有p值≤0.035）。

质性访谈结果表明，员工赞助的SSSH项目可从身体、人际与心理多个维度改善苗圃工人的健康状况。最终归纳出四大核心主题：其一，高强度的体力工作需求是阻碍受试者参与运动的主要因素；其二，SSSH项目具有多维度的健康益处；其三，参与SSSH项目后受试者的工作表现得到提升；其四，参与者对SSSH项目的认可与现存不足。例如，SSSH组受试者反馈，其完成工作相关任务的个人自信心显著增强。

结论：员工赞助的SSSH项目可有效改善与跌倒及损伤风险相关的身体机能，多数参与者表示对SSSH项目整体满意并从中获益，提示该项目在降低苗圃工人损伤风险、改善整体健康水平方面具有潜在应用价值。