Promoting behavior-related low back health in nursing staff by in-person and interactive social media interventions in the workplace: a randomized trial

Abstract

Background: Nurses are put at high risk of work-related low back pain (LBP) due to the nature of their work. There is wide scientific evidence that the incidence and prevalence of LBP in nurses is high. Therefore, promoting behaviors for low back health in nurses is essential. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a theory-based educational intervention on promoting behaviors of low back health via in-person and social media education among nursing personnel with LBP. Methods: The educational content was developed with six modules: knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, reinforcing factors, enabling factors and behavior. Evaluation of the content was undertaken in nurses, mean age 36.50 ± 5.79 years, with LBP recruited to a community randomized controlled trial with two modes of delivery: in-person (n=60) and social media (n=60). Data were collected with a self-designed questionnaire at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Baseline comparisons between groups were made with Mann-Whitney U Test for non-normal data and T-Test for normal data. Comparison of change scores between groups and two delivery types across the three time periods used the mixed between-within subject analysis of variance. Results: A total of 120 nurses received the allocated intervention and completed the baseline and follow-up questionnaires. The results indicated there were no significant statistical differences between two delivery types in the variables at the baseline (p > .05). All educational component scores increased at 3-months in both groups. At the 6-month follow-up scores increased for enabling factors and behavior in the in-person group, while in the social media group all scores increased except for attitude. Based on Bonferroni Post hoc analysis there was the difference between the delivery types; social media was more effective in knowledge (p = .01), self-efficacy (p = .03), reinforcing factor (p = .05) and behavior (p = .001) than the in-person intervention. Conclusion: An educational program for low back health was developed based on the PRECEDE-PROCEED model and proved effective at improving knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, reinforcing factors, enabling factors and behavior. However, delivery via social media was more successful than in-person in the maintenance of behavior over the long-term.