Effect of the Stretching Exercise and Ergonomic Education Program on Low Back Pain Among Nurses
Keywords:
Program, Stretching Exercise, Ergonomic Education, Low Back Pain, NursesAbstract
Lower back pain is a significant occupational health issue commonly observed among nurses. This quasi-experimental study utilized a two-group pretest-posttest design to examine the effectiveness of a stretching exercise program combined with ergonomic education in alleviating lower back pain among nurses. The sample consisted of 50 surgical ward nurses, randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=25) and a control group (n=25). The experimental group participated in the exercise program at least three times per week for six weeks, while the control group continued their routine activities. The research instruments included: (1) a structured stretching exercise program with ergonomic education and (2) a questionnaire assessing the severity of lower back pain. Data were collected at baseline, week 4, and week 6, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Friedman test, and the Mann-Whitney U test.
The results indicated that the mean lower back pain scores in the experimental group significantly decreased at weeks 4 and 6 (p-value < .001). Additionally, a statistically significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups (p-value < .001). These findings suggest that the stretching exercise program combined with ergonomic education is an effective intervention for reducing lower back pain among nurses.
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