The Effect of Problematic Smartphone Use on Physical Activity Level and Musculoskeletal Pain

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the effects of problematic smartphone use on physical activity level and musculoskeletal pain.

Methods Two hundred eighty university students (185 female; 95 male; mean age: 20.84±2.37 years) were included in the study. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to determine the level of physical activity. Problematic smartphone use was determined using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form (SAS-SF) and musculoskeletal pain using the Nordic Musculoskeletal System Questionnaire.

Results When SAS-SF scores were examined, it was seen that 31.8% (89 people) of the participants had problematic smartphone use. A moderate negative correlation was found between problematic smartphone use and physical activity level (p=0.0001; r=−0.419). Neck (p=0.017) and back pain (p=0.040) severity was higher in people with problematic smartphone use.

Conclusions The findings show that problematic smartphone use has negative effects on both physical activity level and pain severity. For this reason, problematic smartphone use should be questioned in university students with neck and back pain.

Zusammenfassung

Ziele Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Auswirkungen einer problematischen Smartphone-Nutzung auf die körperliche Aktivität und Schmerzen des Bewegungsapparates zu bestimmen.

Methoden Zweihundertachtzig Universitätsstudenten (185 weiblich; 95 männlich; Durchschnittsalter: 20,84±2,37 Jahre) wurden in die Studie eingeschlossen. Der Internationale Fragebogen zur körperlichen Aktivität wurde verwendet, um das Niveau der körperlichen Aktivität zu bestimmen. Die problematische Smartphone-Nutzung wurde mit der Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form (SAS-SF) und Muskel-Skelett-Schmerzen mit dem Nordic Musculoskeletal System Questionnaire ermittelt.

Ergebnisse Bei der Untersuchung der SAS-SF-Scores wurde festgestellt, dass 31,8% (89 Personen) der Teilnehmer eine als problematisch angesehene Smartphone-Nutzung zeigten. Zwischen problematischer Smartphone-Nutzung und körperlicher Aktivität wurde eine moderat negative Korrelation gefunden (p=0,0001; r=−0.419). Der Schweregrad von Nacken- (p=0,017) und Rückenschmerzen (p=0,040) war bei Personen mit problematischer Smartphone-Nutzung höher.

Schlussfolgerung Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass eine problematische Smartphone-Nutzung negative Auswirkungen sowohl auf das körperliche Aktivitätsniveau als auch auf die Schmerzstärke hat. Aus diesem Grund sollte bei Studierenden mit Nacken- und Rückenschmerzen eine übermaßige Smartphone-Nutzung hinterfragt werden.

Key words

addiction - pain - physical activity - smartphone

Schlüsselwörter

Sucht - Schmerzen - Physische Aktivität - Smartphone

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 04. Dezember 2021

Angenommen: 02. September 2022

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
19. Oktober 2022

• References

• 1 Park J, Kim J, Kim J. et al. The effects of heavy smartphone use on the cervical angle, pain threshold of neck muscles and depression. Advanced Science and Technology Letters 2015; 12-17 DOI: 10.14257/astl.2015.91.03.
• 2 Haug S, Paz Castro R, Kwon M. et al. Smartphone use and smartphone addiction among young people in Switzerland. Journal of Behavioral Addictions 2015; 4: 299-307 DOI: 10.1556/2006.4.2015.037.
• 3 Matar Boumosleh J, Jaalouk D. Depression, anxiety, and smartphone addiction in university students- A cross sectional study. PLoS ONE 2017; 12 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182239.
• 4 Demirci K, Akgönül M, Akpinar A. Relationship of smartphone use severity with sleep quality, depression, and anxiety in university students. Journal of Behavioral Addictions 2015; 4: 85-92 DOI: 10.1556/2006.4.2015.010.
• 5 Albursan IS, Al Qudah MF, Dutton E. et al. National, Sex and Academic Discipline Difference in Smartphone Addiction: A Study of Students in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Sudan. Community Mental Health Journal 2019; 55: 825-830 DOI: 10.1007/s10597-019-00368-x.
• 6 Alosaimi FD, Alyahya H, Alshahwan H. et al. Smartphone addiction among university students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Medical Journal 2016; 37: 675-683 DOI: 10.15537/smj.2016.6.14430.
• 7 Panova T, Carbonell X. Is smartphone addiction really an addiction?. Journal of Behavioral Addictions 2018; 7: 252-259 DOI: 10.1556/2006.7.2018.49.
• 8 Kim SY, Koo SJ. Effect of duration of smartphone use on muscle fatigue and pain caused by forward head posture in adults. Journal of Physical Therapy Science 2016; 28: 1669-1672 DOI: 10.1589/jpts.28.1669.
• 9 Kim S-E, Kim J-W, Jee Y-S. Relationship between smartphone addiction and physical activity in Chinese international students in Korea. Journal of Behavioral Addictions 2015; 4: 200-205 DOI: 10.1556/2006.4.2015.028.
• 10 Venkatesh E, Al Jemal MY, Al Samani AS. Smart phone usage and addiction among dental students in Saudi Arabia: A cross sectional study. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health 2019; 31 DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2016-0133.
• 11 Namwongsa S, Puntumetakul R, Neubert MS. et al. Factors associated with neck disorders among university student smartphone users. Work 2018; 61: 367-378 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-182819.
• 12 Eitivipart AC, Viriyarojanakul S, Redhead L. Musculoskeletal disorder and pain associated with smartphone use: A systematic review of biomechanical evidence. Hong Kong Physiotherapy Journal 2018; 38: 77-90 DOI: 10.1142/S1013702518300010.
• 13 AlAbdulwahab SS, Kachanathu SJ, AlMotairi MS. Smartphone use addiction can cause neck disability. Musculoskeletal Care 2017; 15: 10-12 DOI: 10.1002/msc.1170.
• 14 Paek KS. A convergence study the association between addictive smart phone use, dry eye syndrome, upper extremity pain and depression among college students. Journal of the Korea Convergence Society 2017; 8: 61-69 DOI: 10.15207/jkcs.2017.8.1.061.
• 15 Soliman Elserty N, Ahmed Helmy N, Mohmed Mounir K. Smartphone addiction and its relation to musculoskeletal pain in Egyptian physical therapy students. European Journal of Physiotherapy 2020; 22: 70-78 DOI: 10.1080/21679169.2018.1546337.
• 16 Alsalameh A, Harisi M, Alduayji M. et al. Evaluating the relationship between smartphone addiction/overuse and musculoskeletal pain among medical students at Qassim University. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care 2019; 8: 2953 DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_665_19.
• 17 Kwon M, Lee J-Y, Won W-Y. et al. Development and Validation of a Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS). PLoS ONE 2013; 8: e56936 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056936.
• 18 Enez Darcin A, Noyan C, Nurmedov S. et al. Smartphone Addiction in Relation with Social Anxiety and Loneliness Among University Students in Turkey. European Psychiatry 2015; 30: 505 DOI: 10.1016/s0924-9338(15)30398-9.
• 19 Erdoğanoğlu Y, Arslan BÇ. Gençlerde akıllı telefon kullanımının fiziksel kapasite üzerine etkisi. Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry/Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi 2019; 20 DOI: 10.5455/apd.22386.
• 20 Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjöström M. et al. International physical activity questionnaire: 12-Country reliability and validity. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 2003; 35: 1381-1395 DOI: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453. FB
• 21 Ázara HM, Farinatti PTV, Midgley AW. et al. Standardized MET Value Underestimates the Energy Cost of Treadmill Running in Men. International Journal of Sports Medicine 2017; 38: 890-896 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-115739.
• 22 Jetté M, Sidney K, Blümchen G. Metabolic equivalents (METS) in exercise testing, exercise prescription, and evaluation of functional capacity. Clinical Cardiology 1990; 13: 555-565 DOI: 10.1002/clc.4960130809.
• 23 Kuorinka I, Jonsson B, Kilbom A. et al. Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Applied Ergonomics 1987; 18: 233-237 DOI: 10.1016/0003-6870(87)90010-X.
• 24 Choi SW, Kim DJ, Choi JS. et al. Comparison of risk and protective factors associated with smartphone addiction and Internet addiction. Journal of Behavioral Addictions 2015; 4: 308-314 DOI: 10.1556/2006.4.2015.043.
• 25 Gutiérrez JDS, Fonseca FR, Rubio G. Cell-Phone Addiction: A Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2016; 7 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00175.
• 26 Akodu AK, Akinbo SR, Young QO. Correlation among smartphone addiction, craniovertebral angle, scapular dyskinesis, and selected anthropometric variables in physiotherapy undergraduates. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences 2018; 13: 528-534 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2018.09.001.
• 27 Choi D. Physical activity level, sleep quality, attention control, and self-regulated learning along to smartphone addiction among college students. Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial Cooperation Society 2015; 16: 429-437 DOI: 10.5762/KAIS.2015.16.1.429.
• 28 İnal EE, Demirci K, Çetintürk A. et al. Effects of smartphone overuse on hand function, pinch strength, and the median nerve. Muscle Nerve 2015; 52: 183-188 DOI: 10.1002/mus.24695.