The Effect of Nurse-Led PRECEDE-PROCEED Model-Based Risk Management Program on Reducing Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Primary School Children

Primary school children spend a large portion of their school hours sitting at their desks (Chen 2021, Van Delden 2020). Students are associated with musculoskeletal pain and discomfort due to prolonged sitting (Guelfi 2019). Common causes of these musculoskeletal system (MSS) problems include carrying inappropriately heavy backpacks, sitting for extended periods in the classroom, long class hours, standardized desks and seats, excessive homework, and prolonged use of phones, tablets, and computers outside of homework. These factors contribute to MSS problems in children, particularly musculoskeletal pain and posture disorders. It is known that the prevalence of posture disorders in school children is increasing (Kinaci 2018). 55.5% of students reported having to lean over their desks while writing at school, and 58.1% reported discomfort due to the weight of their school bags (Yılmaz 2018). Because school-aged children are in the developmental stage of MSD and body posture is being shaped, if proper ergonomic adjustments and behavioral development interventions are not implemented during this period, significant health problems can occur in later years (Contardo 2016). Therefore, interest in school ergonomic intervention programs and their effects on MSD is increasing globally (Sellschop 2015). There is an urgent need for ergonomics-specific and behavior-based school programs (Ayed 2019). Research suggests that school nurses should be involved in these school health programs. To prevent MSD problems, they should collaborate with teachers to organize educational programs on posture training, weight-bearing methods, and the importance of exercise. They should also implement ergonomic adjustments in the classroom and regularly reiterate these recommendations with school administrators and guidance counselors (Yılmaz 2018). Therefore, this study aims to determine the effectiveness of a nurse-led ergonomic risk management education program based on the PRECEDE-PROCEED model on reducing MSD symptoms in primary school children.