Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed evidence-based low back pain (LBP) management smartphone application. Design: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial where participants randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EG) or a control group (CG). Setting: Governmental and private institutions. Participants: About 40 office workers, aged 30 to 55 years, had pain due to non-specific LBP > 3 on Visual Analogue Scale, and with pain chronicity > 3 months. Interventions: The EG received full version of the application ‘Relieve my back’ included evidence-based instructions and therapeutic exercises for LBP management, whereas the CG received placebo version included instructions about nutrition. Main measures: Primary outcome measures included pain measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), disability measured by Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and quality of life measured by Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). Results: Following six weeks of using the application, compared to CG, the EG group demonstrated significant decrease in pain intensity (−3.45 (2.21) vs −0.11 (1.66), P < 0.001), in ODI score (−11.05 (10.40) vs −0.58 (9.0), P = 0.002), and significant increase in physical component of SF-12 (12.85 (17.20) vs −4.63 (12.04), P = 0.001). Conclusion: ‘Relieve my back’ application might be efficacious in reducing pain and disability and improving the quality of life of office workers with non-specific LBP.

BACKGROUND: Strict strategies including lockdowns and working from home were adopted worldwide during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. University professors suddenly shifted to work from home adopting distance teaching. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and its associated occupational and health factors during COVID-19 among university professors. METHODS: A cross-sectional design targeted university professors of all majors in Jordan. The study self-administered survey included demographics and lifestyle data, 12-item Short Form health survey (SF-12), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS 21), professor’ evaluation of distance teaching, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Descriptive analyses were conducted to demonstrate primary outcome measures data. Factors associated with HRQoL were determined using a multiple variable linear regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 299 university professors successfully completed the study. Participants’ SF-12 physical health component score was 74.08 (±18.5) and 65.74 (±21.4) for mental health component. Higher depression, stress, neck disability, and weight change were significantly associated with lower HRQoL level. While higher satisfaction with distance teaching, health self-evaluation, and work load change were significantly associated with higher HRQoL level. The regression model explained 66.7%of the variance in professors’ HRQoL (r2 = 0.667, F = 82.83, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Jordanian university professors demonstrated good HRQoL and mental health levels during COVID-19 lockdown. Factors associated with professors’ HRQoL should be considered by academic institutions in determining the best occupational setup of teaching activities in future pandemics.

BACKGROUND: The sudden shift into distance learning during the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown might have impacted university students’ well-being. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate undergraduate healthcare university students’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its predictors during COVID-19. METHODS: A cross-sectional study used an online self-administered questionnaire. The study targeted undergraduate medical, dental, pharmacy, and nursing students at Jordanian universities. Data collected included demographics,12-item Short Form health survey (SF-12), students’ evaluation of distance learning, Neck Disability Index (NDI), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS21), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Descriptive analyses were conducted to summarize primary outcome measures data. Predictors of HRQoL were determined using a multiple variable regression analysis. RESULTS: In total, 485 university students successfully completed this study with a mean age of 20.6 (±2.0). Participants’ HRQoL level measured by SF-12 mean scores were 66.5 (±20.2) for physical health component and 44.8 (±21.2) for mental health component. The regression model explained 65.5% of the variation (r2 = 0.655, F = 127.8, P < 0.001) in participants’ HRQoL. Factors significantly associated with HRQoL included depression, neck disability index score, stress, health self-evaluation, average of satisfaction with distance learning, IPAQ score, and weekly studying hours. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that healthcare students had a relatively low level of HRQoL during COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan. Academic and non-academic factors associated with HRQoL were identified and should be considered by healthcare educational institutions for better academic planning in future similar pandemics.

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Healthcare workers worldwide have been exposed to extraordinary stress during COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) level and its health and occupational associated factors among Jordanian physicians during COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional design using an online survey was adopted targeting physicians at different Jordanian hospitals. The study survey included demographics, HRQoL measured by 12-item Short Form health survey (SF-12) mental and physical components, physicians’ evaluation of work conditions during COVID-19, Neck Disability Index (NDI), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS 21), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Descriptive analyses were conducted to summarize primary data. Factors associated with HRQoL were determined using a multiple variable regression analysis. In total, 326 physicians successfully completed the survey, 44.2% were males with mean age of 32.08 (±6.93). SF-12 mental component mean was 52.13 (±20.84) and physical component mean was 69.24 (±18.1). Physicians HRQoL level was significantly associated with levels of stress (β = −0.23, 95% CI −1.05 to −0.27), depression (β = −0.22, 95% CI −1.09 to −0.28), neck disability (β = −0.30, 95% CI −1.08 to −0.57), health self-evaluation (β = 0.14, 95% CI 1.66–7.87), sleep self-evaluation (β = 0.09, 95% CI 0.16–3.58), and physical activity level (β = 0.09, 95% CI 0.00–0.001). Jordanian physicians’ level of HRQoL was relatively low during COVID-19. Healthcare facilities administrators should take into consideration factors associated with physicians’ HRQoL level when planning for future healthcare emergencies.