BACKGROUND:
While ergonomic education and exercise programs have been proposed as intervention, their effectiveness among nurses in Botswana remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of these combined interventions in managing LBP among nurses in Botswana.

METHODS:
A Non-Blinded Randomized Control Trial (RCT) was conducted among nurses at a tertiary hospital in Botswana. Sixty participants were randomly allocated into the intervention group for (ergonomic education plus an 8-week home-based exercise program), or a comparison group which received (informational material only). Data was collected using a structured self-report questionnaire developed from; Low Back Pain Questionnaire (LKQ), Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders (NMQ) and Ergonomic Knowledge Assessment Questionnaire (EKAQ). Pain severity was assessed using the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS). Statistical analysis included General Linear Models, repeated measures ANOVA, and Mann-Whitney U-tests (p ≤ 0.05).

RESULTS:
At baseline, the intervention group reported higher pain intensity mean of 6.5 ± 0.2 (95% CI: 6.4 – 6.6, p<0.0001) while comparison group reported 4.6 ± 1.5 (95% CI: 4.0 – 5.2, p < 0.0001). Post intervention, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in pain mean 3.9 ± 1.3 (95% CI: 3.4 – 4.4), while the comparison group experienced a slight increase 4.8 ± 1.6 (95% CI: 4.2 – 5.4, p < 0.0001). Post-intervention, the intervention group showed improved scores 33.5 ± 5.6 (95% CI: 31.4 – 35.6, p < 0.001) vs. 31.1 ± 2.4 (95% CI: 30.2 - 32.0, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:
Ergonomic education and physical exercise therapy significantly improved participants' knowledge and reduced pain severity.