• ISSN 2320-091X (Online)
  • Monthly since 2012
  • Open access
  • Double blind peer review
editor@ijre.net
IJRE International Journal for Research in Education Published by ResaGate Global
Submit manuscript

Assessment of Smartphone Usage and Neck Pain among Undergraduate Students

  • Dr. Rupali Vaibhav Selukar

Keywords:

smartphone use; neck pain; undergraduate students; craniovertebral angle; forward head posture; musculoskeletal disorders

Abstract

Smartphones have become an everyday academic and social tool for undergraduate students, and the sustained head-down posture associated with their use has raised concern about neck pain in this age group. This cross-sectional study assessed the association between daily smartphone use and neck pain among 400 undergraduate students selected by stratified random sampling. Daily screen time was recorded over seven days and categorised as low (5 h). Neck pain in the previous three months was recorded with the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, disability with the Neck Disability Index, smartphone dependence with the short Smartphone Addiction Scale, and head posture with the craniovertebral angle (CVA) measured from lateral photographs. Neck pain was reported by 194 students (48.5%). Prevalence rose from 28.3% in the low-use group to 51.2% in the moderate-use group and 65.0% in the high-use group (χ² = 33.10, p <0.001). Mean CVA fell from 51.2° to 45.9° across the same categories (F = 32.34, p <0.001). After adjustment for sex, posture, exercise and laptop use, high use remained independently associated with neck pain (adjusted OR 4.18, 95% CI 2.32–7.52). Longer daily smartphone use is associated with a higher burden of neck pain and a more forward head posture. Posture education and screen-time guidance should be built into student health programmes.

Loading

References

  1. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  2. Gustafsson, E., Thomée, S., Grimby-Ekman, A., & Hagberg, M. (2017). Texting on mobile phones and musculoskeletal disorders in young adults: A five-year cohort study. Applied Ergonomics, 58, 208–214.
  3. Hansraj, K. K. (2014). Assessment of stresses in the cervical spine caused by posture and position of the head. Surgical Technology International, 25, 277–279.
  4. Hoy, D., Protani, M., De, R., & Buchbinder, R. (2010). The epidemiology of neck pain. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 24(6), 783–792.
  5. Hoy, D., March, L., Woolf, A., Blyth, F., Brooks, P., Smith, E., et al. (2014). The global burden of neck pain: Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 73(7), 1309–1315.
  6. Kim, H. J., & Kim, J. S. (2015). The relationship between smartphone use and subjective musculoskeletal symptoms and university students. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 27(3), 575–579.
  7. Kuorinka, I., Jonsson, B., Kilbom, A., Vinterberg, H., Biering-Sørensen, F., Andersson, G., & Jørgensen, K. (1987). Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Applied Ergonomics, 18(3), 233–237.
  8. Kwon, M., Kim, D. J., Cho, H., & Yang, S. (2013). The smartphone addiction scale: Development and validation of a short version for adolescents. PLoS ONE, 8(12), e83558.
  9. Lee, S., Kang, H., & Shin, G. (2015). Head flexion angle while using a smartphone. Ergonomics, 58(2), 220–226.
  10. Mahmoud, N. F., Hassan, K. A., Abdelmajeed, S. F., Moustafa, I. M., & Silva, A. G. (2019). The relationship between forward head posture and neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 12(4), 562–577.
  11. Namwongsa, S., Puntumetakul, R., Neubert, M. S., Chaiklieng, S., & Boucaut, R. (2018). Ergonomic risk assessment of smartphone users using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool. PLoS ONE, 13(8), e0203394.
  12. Silva, A. G., Punt, T. D., Sharples, P., Vilas-Boas, J. P., & Johnson, M. I. (2009). Head posture and neck pain of chronic nontraumatic origin: A comparison between patients and pain-free persons. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 90(4), 669–674.
  13. Toh, S. H., Coenen, P., Howie, E. K., & Straker, L. M. (2017). The associations of mobile touch screen device use with musculoskeletal symptoms and exposures: A systematic review. PLoS ONE, 12(8), e0181220.
  14. Vernon, H., & Mior, S. (1991). The Neck Disability Index: A study of reliability and validity. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 14(7), 409–415.
  15. Xie, Y., Szeto, G., & Dai, J. (2017). Prevalence and risk factors associated with musculoskeletal complaints among users of mobile handheld devices: A systematic review. Applied Ergonomics, 59, 132–142.

Related articles

How to cite

Dr. Rupali Vaibhav Selukar (2026). Assessment of Smartphone Usage and Neck Pain among Undergraduate Students. International Journal for Research in Education, 15(11), 25-30.

Licence

This article is open access, published under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Copyright remains with the authors.