Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Division of physical therapy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
Faculty of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
PLoS One. 2023 Jun 23;18(6):e0285451. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285451. eCollection 2023.
Neck and shoulder pain has been linked to prolonged periods of flexed neck posture. However, the influences of factors related to individuals' characteristics and the time duration and position of using smartphones on the severity and duration of neck and shoulder pain among university students are not well studied. The aim of this study was to identify factors related to individual demographics, the history of neck pain, and the time duration and positions of using the smartphone that could be associated with neck pain severity and duration and to determine the influence of these factors on neck pain severity and duration among university students.
A cross-sectional study was conducted on students from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, using a self-administered online questionnaire. Data was collected between March 10th, 2020, and October 18th, 2020, with 867 questionnaires filled out using Google Forms as a web-based questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed to students by posting them in their batch groups on Facebook, an online social media and social networking service. Students from five healthcare faculties were included: the faculties of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and medical rehabilitation sciences.
Students' gender, time spent on using their phones, time spent on devices for studying, and having a history of neck or shoulder pain were significant predictors of neck pain duration in the univariate model (p≤0.018). In the multivariate model, both having a history of neck or shoulder pain (95%CI: -2.357 to -1.268, p<0.001) and the hand-side used for writing (95%CI: 0.254-0.512, p<0.001) were significant predictors of neck pain severity, and they both explained 8.4% of its variance. A previous history of neck and shoulder pain, as well as time spent studying on devices, were predictors of the duration of neck pain. According to a study by researchers at Cardiff University, the hand side used for writing on smart devices was also a good predictor of the severity of neck pain. A history of neck or shoulder pain (95% CI: 0.567-0.738, p = <0.001) and the number of hours spent on the device for studying (95% CI: 0.254-0.512, p<0.001) were significant predictors of neck and shoulder pain duration, and they both explained 8.4% of its variance. While having a history of neck or shoulder pain (95% CI: 0.639-0.748, p<0.001) and the hand-side used for writing (95% CI: -1.18 - -0.081, p = 0.025) were significant predictors of neck and shoulder pain severity, they explained 11.3% of its variance.
The results of this study may be utilized to pinpoint smartphone usage factors associated with neck and shoulder pain severity and duration. Further, the findings of this study might help to develop preventive strategies to lower the impacts of these factors on the development of neck and shoulder pain severity and duration among university students.
颈部和肩部疼痛与长时间低头颈部姿势有关。然而，与个体特征以及使用智能手机的时间和位置相关的因素对大学生颈部和肩部疼痛的严重程度和持续时间的影响尚未得到充分研究。本研究旨在确定与个体人口统计学、颈部疼痛史以及使用智能手机的时间和位置相关的因素，这些因素可能与颈部疼痛的严重程度和持续时间有关，并确定这些因素对大学生颈部疼痛严重程度和持续时间的影响。
本研究采用横断面研究设计，对沙特阿拉伯吉达市阿卜杜勒阿齐兹国王大学的学生进行了研究，使用了自我管理的在线问卷。数据于 2020 年 3 月 10 日至 2020 年 10 月 18 日期间通过谷歌表单在线问卷调查收集，共填写了 867 份问卷。研究人员通过在 Facebook 群组中发布问卷来向学生分发问卷，Facebook 是一个在线社交媒体和社交网络服务。研究纳入了五个医疗保健专业的学生：医学、牙科、药学、护理和医疗康复科学。
在单变量模型中，学生的性别、使用手机的时间、使用设备学习的时间以及颈部或肩部疼痛史是颈部疼痛持续时间的显著预测因素（p≤0.018）。在多变量模型中，颈部或肩部疼痛史（95%CI：-2.357 至-1.268，p<0.001）和用于书写的手侧（95%CI：0.254 至 0.512，p<0.001）都是颈部疼痛严重程度的显著预测因素，两者共同解释了 8.4%的变异性。颈部和肩部疼痛史以及在设备上学习的时间是颈部疼痛持续时间的预测因素。卡迪夫大学研究人员的研究表明，在智能设备上手的书写侧也是颈部疼痛严重程度的一个很好的预测因素。颈部或肩部疼痛史（95%CI：0.567-0.738，p<0.001）和用于设备学习的时间（95%CI：0.254-0.512，p<0.001）是颈部和肩部疼痛持续时间的显著预测因素，两者共同解释了 8.4%的变异性。颈部或肩部疼痛史（95%CI：0.639-0.748，p<0.001）和用于书写的手侧（95%CI：-1.18 至-0.081，p=0.025）是颈部和肩部疼痛严重程度的显著预测因素，两者共同解释了 11.3%的变异性。
本研究的结果可用于确定与颈部和肩部疼痛严重程度和持续时间相关的智能手机使用因素。此外，本研究的结果可能有助于制定预防策略，以降低这些因素对大学生颈部和肩部疼痛严重程度和持续时间的影响。
