Effect of Health Education on Ergonomic Practices Towards Reduction of Low Back Pain Among Patients in Rivers State

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the effect of health education on ergonomic practices for the reduction of low back pain among patients in Rivers state, Nigeria. The study employed pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design and targeted 170 patients at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. Two objectives with corresponding research questions and hypotheses guided the study. The sampling techniques used were convenience and stratified, and 50 participants were selected, 20 males and 30 females, comprising 35 patients from the general outpatient clinic department and 15 patients from the spine physiotherapy unit. Data were collected using a self-structured, self-administered questionnaire titled "health education effect on posture and low back pain," which had a reliability coefficient of 0.75. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses, respectively. The findings of this study revealed that the use of ergonomic chairs, adjustable desks, and anti-fatigue mats could promote spine alignment and reduce pain caused by prolonged standing. The study also found that health education intervention was effective in improving environmental ergonomic practices, such as taking breaks to stretch and move around and using a firm mattress. Therefore, the study concluded that health education intervention through furniture and environmental ergonomics practices is crucial in reducing low back pain among patients in Rivers state. The results recommended the need for further research to identify effective and sustainable interventions of health education in ergonomic practices for the prevention and management of low back pain.