Comparison Of The Effects Of Different Body Mechanics Education Methods On Pain, Disability And Quality Of Life: Randomised Controlled Study

Before commencing the study, we informed participants who met the inclusion criteria about the scope of the study and obtained their written and oral consent. Participants in each group completed the data collection form regarding patients' characteristics, the SF-MPQ, the ODI and the Physical Functioning and Bodily Pain subscales of the SF-36. A day before LDH (Lumbar Disc Hernia) surgery, participants in the control group received standard clinical education, whereas ones in the intervention groups received either video- or brochure-based education. Participants in the brochure group learned about the proper use of body mechanics from the "Body Mechanics Educational Brochure for LDH Patients" and demonstrations performed by primary investigator after which we answered any questions that participants asked. Brochure-based education took nearly 15 min, and participants could keep the brochures after the education programme ended. By contrast, participants in the video group learned about proper use of body mechanics from the "Body Mechanics Educational Video for LDH Patients" presented on a laptop, after which we also answered any questions that participants asked. Video-based education took nearly 15 min, and we provided CD-ROM with the video to the participants. Unlike participants in the intervention groups, ones in the control group did not receive structured education. Clinical nurses orally informed them about points to consider while performing activities such as standing, rising from bed and lifting. Final data collection took place in the sixth postoperative week, following the statement of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses that pain and disability begin to decrease and that quality of life begins to increase 4-6 weeks after thoracolumbar surgery (Starkweather et al., 2013). During the postoperative period, participants in all groups completed the SF-MPQ, the ODI and the Physical Functioning and Bodily Pain subscales of the SF-36. Participants in the brochure and video groups also completed the survey addressing their satisfaction with the educational materials, whereas ones in the control group completed the survey addressing their satisfaction with the clinical education that they received. We collected data face-to-face with participants, which took approximately 20 min. Participants who lived outside Ankara completed the respective survey via telephone interviews, which took approximately 30 min.