Evaluation of the effects of ergonomics and exercise training on pain and quality of life in desk workers

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise and ergonomics training on neck and low back pain and quality of life in secretaries working as office-based staff in a hospital setting. Methods: This semi-experimental pretest–posttest study was conducted with 100 secretaries working at a tertiary hospital. Participants received a 45-minute interactive training session including desk exercises and ergonomic principles. For four weeks following the training, weekly reminders were provided to support exercise implementation and adherence to ergonomic rules. Data were collected before and after the training using the Participant Information Form, the Neck Disability Index (NDI), the Oswestry Low Back Pain Scale, and the SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire. The dependent variables were neck and back pain levels, as well as quality of life scores. The independent variables were demographic and work-related characteristics. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0. Descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon signed-rank test for dependent group comparisons, and Mann–Whitney U test for between-group comparisons were applied. The significance level was set at p