Factors associated with the objective outcomes of Electric Pallet Truck Interventions for Aging Workers

Abstract

Electric pallet trucks (EPTs) are commonly subsidized as job accommodation measures to reduce physical workload associated with material-handling tasks among aging workers. This retrospective study examined perceived post-intervention outcomes among 91 workers aged 45 years and older who received EPT subsidies through a government-funded job accommodation program in Taiwan. Perceived outcomes were assessed three months after implementation using a six-item self-reported scale capturing problem-solving effectiveness, productivity, work autonomy, work quality, comfort/safety, and ease of use.Fixed-effects regression analyses revealed item-specific associations between worker characteristics and perceived outcomes. Increasing age was negatively associated with perceived improvement in problem-solving effectiveness. Educational level showed differentiated associations across outcome domains, with lower educational attainment associated with greater perceived improvement in problem-solving effectiveness but lower perceived gains in productivity and work quality, while higher educational attainment was positively associated with perceived improvement in work autonomy. Manufacturing industrial workers reported significantly greater perceived improvements in productivity and work quality than workers in other job categories.Partial least squares structural equation modeling further demonstrated that perceived intervention effectiveness played a central role in linking EPT-based job accommodation to perceived improvements in work performance, whereas perceived usability did not show a significant direct association with intervention effectiveness. Overall, these findings indicate that the perceived benefits of EPT interventions are item-specific and strongly shaped by worker characteristics, job roles, and task contexts, underscoring the importance of aligning assistive-device provision with essential job demands rather than adopting uniform job accommodation approaches for aging workers.

Keywords: Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders, Aging Workers, Job Accommodation, Electric Pallet Trucks, Assistive Devices, Ergonomics

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007572