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Journals / Journal of Exercise Therapy and Rehabilitation / 2026 / Cilt: 13 Sayı: 2

Effects of exercise on neck pain and sleep quality in academic staff

Öğretim elemanlarında egzersizin boyun ağrısı ve uyku kalitesine etkisi

Menşure Canpolat(OKAN ÜNİVERSİTESİ, SAĞLIK HİZMETLERİ MESLEK YÜKSEKOKULU)0000-0002-1375-3293
Tülay Ortabağ(Topkapı Üniversitesi)0000-0003-1466-7343
Yavuz Yakut(HASAN KALYONCU ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-9363-0869
Pages
126–133
Publication Date
2026-07-31
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Conclusion: It was concluded that regular, mild-intensity exercise is effective in reducing neck pain and may have a supportive effect on sleep quality among university teaching staff.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of regular exercise on neck pain and sleep quality among university teaching staff.
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Key Findings & Data:Methods: The study was conducted between March and August 2023 and included 64 volunteer academics.
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Conclusion & Impact:Conclusion: It was concluded that regular, mild-intensity exercise is effective in reducing neck pain and may have a supportive effect on sleep quality among university teaching staff.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2023 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Egzersiz · Boyun Ağrısı · Uyku

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of regular exercise on neck pain and sleep quality among university teaching staff. Methods: The study was conducted between March and August 2023 and included 64 volunteer academics. Participants were divided into an intervention group (IG, n=32) and a control group (CG, n=32). The IG received an exercise brochure and was instructed to perform regular exercises at least three days per week for 12 weeks. No intervention was applied to the CG; exercise guidance was provided at the end of the study. Data were collected using the Demographic Information Form, the Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Scales were administered as pre-test and post-test before and after the 12-week intervention period. Results: Before the intervention, the IG and CG were similar in demographic characteristics and baseline NPDS and PSQI scores (p>0.05). At the end of the study, a statistically significant improvement was observed in NPDS scores in the IG (pre-test: 30.00±15.25; post-test: 19.65±13.51; p=0.006). A trend toward improvement was observed in PSQI scores in the IG; however, this change was not statistically significant (pre-test: 5.37±2.68; post-test: 4.65±2.07; p=0.235). No significant changes were observed in NPDS (p=0.262) or PSQI (p=0.598) scores in the CG. Between-group comparisons of post-test scores revealed significant differences in favor of the IG for both NPDS (p<0.001) and PSQI (p=0.041). Conclusion: It was concluded that regular, mild-intensity exercise is effective in reducing neck pain and may have a supportive effect on sleep quality among university teaching staff.

Özet

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, üniversite öğretim elemanlarında düzenli yapılan egzersizlerin boyun ağrısı ve uyku kalitesi üzerindeki etkisini değerlendirmek amaçlandı. Yöntem: Mart-Ağustos 2023 tarihleri arasında yürütülen çalışmaya, 64 gönüllü akademisyen dahil edildi. Katılımcılar Eğitim Grubu (EG, n=32) ve Kontrol Grubu (KG, n=32) olarak ayrıldı. EG'ye haftada en az üç gün ve 12 hafta boyunca düzenli egzersiz yapması için egzersiz broşürü verildi. KG'ye müdahale edilmedi; çalışma sonunda egzersiz rehberliği sunuldu. Veriler Demografik Bilgi Formu, Boyun Ağrı ve Disabilite Skoru (BADS) ve Pittsburgh Uyku Kalite İndeksi (PUKİ) kullanılarak toplandı. Ölçekler çalışma öncesi ve 12 haftalık süre sonunda ön-test ve son-test olarak uygulandı. Bulgular: Çalışma öncesinde EG ve KG'nin BADS ve PUKİ ön-test puanları ile demografik özellikleri benzerdi (p>0,05). Çalışma sonunda EG'de BADS puanlarında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı iyileşme saptandı (ön-test: 30,00±15,25; son-test: 19,65±13,51; p=0,006). EG'de PUKİ puanlarında iyileşme eğilimi gözlemlendi ancak bu değişim istatistiksel olarak anlamlı değildi (ön-test: 5,37±2,68; son-test: 4,65±2,07; p=0,235). KG'de BADS (p=0,262) ve PUKİ (p=0,598) puanlarında anlamlı değişim gözlenmedi. Gruplar arası son-test karşılaştırmalarında hem BADS (p<0,001) hem de PUKİ (p=0,041) puanları açısından EG lehine anlamlı fark saptandı. Sonuç: Üniversite öğretim elemanlarında hafif şiddette ve düzenli yapılan egzersizlerin boyun ağrısını azaltmada etkili olduğu ve uyku kalitesini destekleyici etki gösterebileceği sonucuna varıldı.

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Cite This Article

Canpolat, M., Ortabağ, T., Yakut, Y. (2026). Effects of exercise on neck pain and sleep quality in academic staff. Journal of Exercise Therapy and Rehabilitation, Cilt: 13 Sayı: 2, 126–133. https://doi.org/10.15437/jetr.1867638

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