Background: Occupational back pain (LBP) is a known common health problem in nurses. Studies from across the globe have documented a high prevalence of LBP in nurses. This study compared an educational intervention to reduce occupational low back pain in nurses, delivered using
in-person and
social media interventions, with a no-intervention control.Methods: This study was a community randomized controlled trial with two interventions arms and a control arm. Participants were recruited from three hospitals. Hospital 1 received an
in-person educational program, Hospital 2 received the intervention via
social media and Hospital 3 received nothing. Outcomes were pain (VAS), disability (Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale) and quality of life (SF-36), assessed at baseline, 3 and 6-months follow-up. A Shapiro-Wilk test was used to test data normality. For normally distributed data a mixed between-within subject analysis of variance with Bonferroni adjustments was used. For non-normal distributions, two-sample tests were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test.Findings: 180 female nurses with LBP (mean age 36.66 - 6.51 years, work experience 12.33 - 6.17 years) participated in the study. There was no significant difference between the groups at baseline (p > .05). Dimensions of quality of life improved the over 3 and 6-months in both intervention groups. Pain and disability decreased over 3 in both intervention groups and over 6-months in the
social media group. Based on Bonferroni Post hoc analysis there was a difference between the control and both intervention groups and also the difference between the interventions types. Indeed,
social media was more successful in decreasing pain and disability (p <.0001) and improving some dimensions of quality of life; Physical Functioning, Vitality, Mental Health, Bodily Pain (p < .05).Conclusion: The intervention approaches can be effective in decreasing LBP, disability and improving quality of life in nurses. Social media approach was more successful than the
in-person over the long-term.Message for policymakers: It is suggested, health policymakers and hospital managers provide conditions for the educational intervention of LBP prevention and treatment via convenient approaches. Likewise, prepare ergonomically and psychologically appropriate environment for nurses in the workplace.