Mr Aaron Bezzina

Purpose: To investigate the effect of a task rotation schedule on musculoskeletal injury and the challenges of implementing a task rotation schedule within an underground coal mine. Methods: This was a pre-post cross-sectional intervention study with two underground coal mines. Participant-surveys were collected at baseline and 12-months. Results: There were no significant differences in musculoskeletal discomfort between the two sites in any body region. Tasks were rotated two to three times a shift on average. Conclusions: The task rotation schedule did not have a significant impact upon musculoskeletal discomfort although this does not necessarily reflect that the rotation schedule was in-effective in curbing injury, rather highlights the complexity of developing a successful task rotation schedule within an underground coal mine. The task rotation schedule, its implementation and execution need consideration and further investigation to assist in effectively controlling injury and fatigue risk.

Objective: To describe strategies used to recruit and retain young adults in nutrition, physical activity and/or obesity intervention studies, and quantify the success and efficiency of these strategies. Design: A systematic review was conducted. The search included six electronic databases to identify RCTs published up to 6th December 2019 that evaluated nutrition, physical activity and/or obesity interventions in young adults (17-35 years). Recruitment was considered successful if the pre-determined sample size goal was met. Retention was considered acceptable if =80% retained for =6-month follow-up or =70% for >6-month follow-up. Results: From 21,582 manuscripts identified, 107 RCTs were included. Universities were the most common recruitment setting used in 84 studies (79%). Less than half (46%) the studies provided sufficient information to evaluate whether individual recruitment strategies met sample size goals, with 77% successfully achieving recruitment targets. Reporting for retention was slightly better with 69% of studies providing sufficient information to determine whether individual retention strategies achieved adequate retention rates. Of these, 65% had adequate retention. Conclusions: This review highlights poor reporting of recruitment and retention information across trials. Findings may not be applicable outside a university setting. Guidance on how to improve reporting practices to optimise recruitment and retention strategies within young adults could assist researchers in improving outcomes.