Problematic smartphone use may be associated with postural abnormalities and reduced neck mobility in young women. However, the amount of time spent on a phone alone was not significantly associated with most of the measures examined. These are the findings of a study published in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
The study involved 63 female university students aged 18 to 25. On average, they spent around six hours a day using their smartphones. The researchers assessed their phone-use habits, head posture, neck mobility, muscle endurance, and degree of functional impairment.
Higher scores on a scale measuring problematic smartphone use were associated with more pronounced forward head posture, restricted movement in certain directions, and greater functional disability. The strongest association was observed with limitations in daily activities related to neck problems. However, all the correlations identified were weak.
Meanwhile, total smartphone use and screen time were not statistically significantly associated with most of the measures, including pain intensity. Unexpectedly, longer smartphone use was weakly correlated with greater endurance of the neck flexor muscles.
The researchers suggest that the way people use their devices and the habits associated with smartphone use may matter more than the number of hours spent in front of a screen. Holding the head in an uncomfortable position for extended periods could potentially affect neck biomechanics, although this explanation has not yet been proven.
The authors emphasize that the study involved a small group of young women and cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship. Larger studies involving objective measurements of screen time and long-term follow-up are needed to confirm the findings.
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