ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SMARTPHONE ADDICTION AND NECK PAIN AND DISABILITY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS; A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Introduction: The smartphone has become an important necessity in our daily life. It has many positive impacts; communication has made easy, daily utilities and health care services may be accessible through online services and mobile apps. On the other hand, it has negatively affected individuals as addiction to smartphones causes physical and mental health problems. Smartphone addiction leads to prolonged forward head posture, straining neck muscles and compressing spinal discs, which can cause chronic pain and musculoskeletal issues.

Material & Methods: This was a cross-sectional study and data was collected from 907 students from the universities of Rawalpindi/ Islamabad and Lahore. The study was conducted from February 2022 to June 2022. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS pain), Neck Disability Index Urdu version (NDI-U), and short version of the Smartphone Addiction scale (SAS-S) were used to analyze neck pain intensity, neck pain & disability and smartphone addiction respectively. Data were analyzed using SSPS version IBM- 21. Descriptive statistics were used in terms of mean, frequency, and percentages and the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between smartphone addiction and neck pain & disability.

Results: Out of 907 participants, 38.7% were male and 61.3% were female, 21.25% were medical students, and 78.7% were non-medical students. The result of this study shows that a significant moderate association was found between SAS-SV and NDI-U (r= 0.59, p<0.01), SAS-SV and VAS pain (r= 0.63, p<0.01).

Conclusion: There is a moderate association between smartphone addiction and neck pain in university students. These results highlight the importance of awareness and preventative strategies among young smartphone users.