Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Doctoral Project

Degree Name

Occupational Therapy Doctorate

Department

Brain Health

First Committee Member

Sharon Jalene

Number of Pages

88

Abstract

Taxi drivers are frequently exposed to prolonged sitting, whole-body vibration, limited rest opportunities, and psychosocial stressors, placing them at increased risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This can be mitigated with the use of ergonomics, which changes one's environment to match an individual's needs within the context and demands of the job. Although ergonomics is a recognized area of occupational therapy (OT) practice, current research is limited to office-based or computer-related settings, leaving a gap in OT-led ergonomic interventions tailored for professional drivers. This capstone project aimed to determine whether OT-based ergonomic strategies, along with an ergonomic checklist as a guideline could reduce MSDs symptoms and improve functional well-being as well as to examine the effects of tailored ergonomic interventions on pain levels and quality of life (QoL) among taxi drivers in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Due to unexpected challenges in participant recruitment, instead of the initially proposed waitlist design, one participant underwent ergonomic evaluation, individualized interventions, and repeated assessments using the McGill Pain Questionnaire and the World Health Organization QoL Assessment (WHOQOL-BREF) for pain and QoL, respectively. The findings of this study suggest that tailored ergonomic interventions created from the checklist had a positive impact on pain reduction and improved psychological aspects of QoL. This capstone project had several limitations, particularly related to recruitment, participant communication, and attrition. The results of the study have the potential to support driver health and safety and expand the application of ergonomics within community mobility and occupational performance.

Keywords

Community mobility; Driving; Ergonomics; Occupational Therapy; OT; Taxi Drivers

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Occupational Therapy | Rehabilitation and Therapy

File Format

PDF

File Size

2800 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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