Table 1

Outcome measurements of the NURSE-RCT and other data for methods development

Domain	Measurement
Primary outcome
Body structure and functions
Low back pain	Pain intensity: visual analogue scale 0–100 mm during the past month*
Secondary outcomes
Musculoskeletal pain	Pain intensity: Numeric Rating Scale 0–10 during the past 4 weeks; assessed for low back, upper back, neck, shoulder, knee, hip Pain frequency of each above site: daily, most days but not daily, now and then*
Musculoskeletal exertion†	Perceived exertion after typical working day: Numeric Rating Scale 1–5; assessed for low back, upper back, neck, shoulder, knee, hip*
Sleep and recovery from work†	Tiredness in the morning, tiredness during the day, sleepiness during the day, recovery after work: Numeric Rating Scale 1–5*
Mental well-being	Beck Depression Inventory (9 items)*‡
Activity limitations
Movement control dysfunction	MCI test battery*
Motor skill: static balance§	One-leg stand
Motor skill: gross movement timing§	Rhythm coordination test*
Range of motion: trunk§	Trunk side-bending*
Range of motion: upper-body§	Shoulder neck mobility*
Muscular fitness: trunk§	Dynamic sit-ups
Body composition	Weight, height, body mass index
Motor skill: agility§	Running figure of 8 functional fitness test*
Muscular fitness: upper-body and trunk§	Modified push-ups; functional fitness test*
Muscular fitness: leg power§	Vertical jump; functional fitness test*
Muscular fitness: leg strength§	One-leg squat (forward); functional fitness test*
Aerobic fitness: walking	6 min walk test; functional fitness test
Limitations in self-reported activities	Patient specific functional scale
Participation
Physical activity and sedentary behaviour	Objective assessment with accelerometer for 7 days (Hookie AM20 tri-axial accelerometer, Traxmeet, Espoo, Finland)
Physical activity and exercise diary	Recorded for the 7 days when using the accelerometer
Physical activity recommendation¶	Standard Finnish Questionnaire assessing the fulfilment of current recommendation for weekly physical activity
Health-related quality of life	Rand 36-item health survey questionnaire
Self-reported work ability†	WAI: four standard questions
Environmental factors
Psychosocial factors at work†	Selected items of a Finnish questionnaire*
Individual factors
Fear avoidance**	Fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire*
Methods development
Body structure and functioning
Functioning of the autonomic nervous system (substudies 1 and 2)	Measurements of heart-rate variability during two working days and one leisure day
Activity limitations
Physical functioning in nursing tasks	Ability to manage with heavy, task specific nursing duties including patient transfer: Numeric Rating Scale 0–10 with 21 selection points*‡
Motion analysis (substudy 3)	IMU system (Valedo Research, Hocoma AG, Volketswil, Switzerland)††

*Assessment of test-retest repeatability.
†Standard questionnaire developed by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Finland.
‡Assessment of construct validity.
§Standard method developed by the UKK Institute, Tampere, Finland.
¶Standard method developed by the UKK Institute and National Institute of Health and Well-being, Finland.
**Finnish version, translated and validated by Orton, Helsinki, Finland.
††Assessment of validity of IMU to detect MCIs and their changes.
IMU, inertial measurement unit; MCI, movement control impairment; NURSE-RCT, prevention of chronic low back pain in female nurses; WAI, Work Ability Index.