Text neck syndrome and SMS thumb among university students

Abstract

Background: Texting can strain the neck, and messaging can hurt thumbs. These are now common health problems. These problems are connected to using smartphones too much and the wrong posture and repeated movements. This study was designed to find out how common text neck syndrome and SMS thumb are among university students.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey included a sample of 313 university students from whom data was collected from December 2023 to June 2024. Participants consisted of male and female students aged 18 to 27 years, each using a smartphone for not less than one hour daily. Students with other recognized musculoskeletal diseases resulting in neck pain were excluded from the study. The Neck Disability Index (NDI), the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), and the Cornell Hand Disability Questionnaire (CHDQ) were used for data collection.

Results: There were 313 university students, 42.2% of whom were male and 57.8% of whom were female. The average age was 21.8 years old. The results showed that college students had the most trouble with their right thumb (34.6%), wrist (29.7%), left wrist (15.4%), and right base of the thumb area (29.7%). Discomfort was less pronounced in the left little and ring fingers (12.5%), left thumb (14.3%), and left wrist (15.4%). The mean values for SAS, NDI, and CHDQ were 10.1 ± 8.5, 32.98 ± 9.9, and 20.4 ± 17.4, respectively.

Conclusions: A high prevalence of text neck syndrome and SMS thumb among university students was observed. The thumb, right wrist, and neck were the most uncomfortable areas.