Yousef M. Alshehre

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the level of breastfeeding (BF) knowledge and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders associated with BF among mothers. Materials and Methods: The participants were given a questionnaire containing 20 questions regarding their knowledge of BF practices and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. The responses were reported as mean, standard deviation (SD), number (n), frequencies (f), and percentages (%). Results: The study included 941 participants aged 18 to 49, with a median age of 31-35. Nearly half (47.9%; n = 451) of participants had no knowledge of the health advantages of BF. Furthermore, 82.6% (n = 777) of participants did not receive educational courses or information about childbirth during pregnancy or postnatal. Moreover, 42.7% (n = 402) reported BF-related musculoskeletal pain. The results showed that the least common information provided by doctors or other healthcare providers to mothers was that BF could reduce the risk of some types of cancer (13.6%; n = 128) and asthma and shortness of breath in children (14.1%; n = 133). The most common information was that breastfed children are at a lower risk of getting sick than formula-fed children (41.7%; n = 392). Conclusions: The study showed a lack of knowledge regarding the benefits of BF and a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among BF mothers in Saudi Arabia. We strongly recommend increasing the number of educational courses that provide knowledge and skills related to BF practices and appropriate positioning during BF.

Neck pain is a widespread medical condition among office workers worldwide. This study aimed to compare physical exercises, including basic body awareness, neck-specific training exercises and ergonomic modifications, and ergonomic modifications alone in the management of chronic non-specific neck pain (NSNP) among office workers. Sixty participants were randomly allocated to an experimental group (physical exercises and ergonomic modifications) or a control group (ergonomic modifications) and received the intervention two times a week for eight weeks. The Numerical Pain Rating Scale, Neck Disability Index, Health and Safety Stress Tool, and Short Form Health Survey-36 were used to measure pain, disability, job stress, and quality of life at baseline, and at weeks 4 and 8 of the study period. A repeated measure ANOVA was used to determine the within-group significant differences and an independent t-test was utilized to compare group differences. The baseline data of the experimental and control groups showed no significant difference (p ≥ 0.05). The 2 × 3 mixed models ANOVA showed a significant difference in pain intensity (p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.042), functional disability (p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.052), work-related stress (p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.036), and QoL (p = 0.012, ηp2 = 0.025). Four weeks post-intervention, the experimental group showed significant changes in primary (pain intensity and disability) (1.9; 95% confidence interval 1.65–2.14) and secondary (quality of life and work-related stress) outcomes (p < 0.001). The same gradual improvement in these variables was observed in the 8-week follow-up (p < 0.001). There was a significant improvement in clinical outcomes following the application of physical exercises with ergonomic modifications for chronic NSNP among office workers. This is significant for office workers because it suggests the importance of incorporating physical exercises into their daily routine and making ergonomic changes to their workspaces.