BACKGROUND Low back pain is the main causes of activity limitation and work absence across the world, leading to high social and economic burden on individuals, families, labour market and society (Lidgren 2003, Kent & Keating 2005, Thelin et al. 2008). This is particularly true for older adults in working age and employed in sedentary and arduous/strenuous jobs, whose work conditions may influence negatively this health problem and lead to severe chronic low back pain condition (Wong et al. 2017). Other reported risk factors include low educational status, stress, anxiety, depression, job dissatisfaction, low levels of social support in the workplace and whole-body vibration. Pain management is one of the most neglected aspects of healthcare and people suffering from chronic low back pain are often left without specific information, guidance and care from healthcare systems. Alternative treatments for managing or decreasing the pain include physical therapy and exercises, but awareness and adherence by patients is quite low. PROJECT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES The main goal of the MY-RELIEF project is to enhance awareness of mature workers (55+ years) about the ways to monitor, limit and cope with chronic low back pain in all personal spheres (work, family, leisure etc.). We will develop an innovative health education to older adults working in sedentary or arduous/strenuous jobs for improving their knowledge and transversal skills about correct ergonomics, pain self-management and healthy behaviours to adopt for addressing the low back pain. ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGY We will develop an innovative and motivating adult education package, which address current barriers to learning opportunities among our primary target group, including the following intellectual outputs (IOs): - MULTIMEDIAL TRAINING VIDEOS WITH WORKERS AND EXPERTS, to be created with mature workers with low back pain, their families and ergonomics experts in the five participating countries (Sweden, United Kingdom, Italy, Lithuania and Portugal), explaining workers' needs, coping strategies and recommendations for daily life activities (IO1); - HEALTH EDUCATION HANDBOOK FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING, which will offer tips, advice and recommendations to mature workers with low back pain on recommended physical exercises to perform for improving the health status, as well as relaxation techniques for improving mental well-being (IO2); - MOBILE-BASED SERIOUS GAME FOR SELF-ASSESSMENT, a mobile application which could enable mature workers with low back pain to manage virtually a series of cases and daily problems, leading to a learning experience through problem-solving tasks (IO3); - MASSIVE ONLINE OPEN COURSE (MOOC), which will include textual and multimedia training contents (also from previous outputs). It will be accessible to a broad audience also via mobile devices and will allow the certification of specific transversal skills acquired in a Coursera-like approach and released by Lund University (IO4). NUMBER OF TARGETED BENEFICIARIES We will involve, in an interactive co-design, testing and dissemination process, over 2,500 participants, including mature workers with low back pain (primary target group), employers, employers' associations, unions, patients' associations, clinical units for chronic pain and other stakeholders (secondary target groups). RESULTS AND IMPACT The MY-RELIEF project will create a comprehensive adult education package, publicly available and usable also by mobile devices, at disposal of mature workers with low back pain for free in five official languages of the European Union (English, Italian, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Swedish). The training package characteristics are expected to provide a motivating and enjoyable learning experience for a group of workers usually excluded by lifelong learning activities. Considering the long-term benefits of MY-RELIEF results, the project is expected to: (a) improve awareness and ability to monitor, limit and cope with low back pain; (b) improve physical and mental health and well-being; (c) improve life and job satisfaction; (d) improve long-term transversal skills.
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