Author(s)

Ime M. Ubom^1,*, Richard C. Echem², Anelechi K. Madume³, Golda O. Ekenedo⁴

Affiliation(s)

¹ Department of Physiotherapy, University of Port-Harcourt teaching hospital, Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.

² Orthopaedic, University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.

³ Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Rivers State University, Nigeria.

⁴ Department of Health Education, Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Corresponding Author

Ime M. Ubom

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the influence of health education on physical exercise in alleviating low back pain among patients in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study utilized a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design and involved 170 patients at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Two objectives were set, along with corresponding research questions and hypotheses. The participants were selected using convenience and stratified sampling techniques, resulting in a cohort of 50 individuals consisting of 35 patients from the general outpatient clinic department and 15 patients from the spine physiotherapy unit. The group included 20 male and 30 female participants. Data was collected using a self-structured, self-administered questionnaire titled physical exercise-focused health education in alleviating low back pain, which demonstrated good reliability (0.82). Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. The study findings indicated that health education, with a focus on physical exercise (PEFHE) for low back pain patients, consistently improved mobility by enhancing respiration, reducing abdominal fat, strengthening muscles and increasing flexibility. More so, PEFHE significantly alleviated pain and stiffness among individuals with low back pain. In conclusion, the study recommends the implementation of comprehensive PEFHE programmes, fostering patient participation, conducting further research on long-term effects, and promoting collaboration among healthcare providers, educators, and policymakers to integrate these interventions into the existing healthcare system seamlessly.

KEYWORDS

Physical exercise-focused health education; PEFHE; Low back pain patients

CITE THIS PAPER

Ime M. Ubom, Richard C. Echem, Anelechi K. Madume, Golda O. Ekenedo. Influence of health education on physical exercise in alleviating low back pain among patients in rivers state, Nigeria. World Journal of Clinical Sciences. 2024, 2(2): 15-22. DOI: 10.61784/wjcs3003.

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