THE EFFECTS OF SMARTPHONE ADDICTION ON CHILDRENS CERVICAL POSTURE AND RANGE OF MOTION

Asma  Alonazi; Noha  Daher; Abdullah  Alismail; Rhonda  Nelson; Waleed  Almutairi; Gurinder  Bains

doi:10.15621/ijphy/2019/v6i2/181910

Authors

Asma Alonazi Department of Physical Therapy and Health Rehabilitation, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia, 11952.
Noha Daher Department of Allied Health Studies, School of Allied Health Professions, Loma LindaUniversity, Loma Linda, CA, 92350 U.S.A
Abdullah Alismail Department of Cardiopulmonary Sciences, School of Allied Health Professions, Loma LindaUniversity, Loma Linda, CA, 92350 U.S.A.
Rhonda Nelson Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Professions, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, 92350 U.S.A.
Waleed Almutairi Department of Cardiopulmonary Sciences, School of Allied Health Professions, Loma LindaUniversity, Loma Linda, CA, 92350 U.S.A.
Gurinder Bains Department of Allied Health Studies, School of Allied Health Professions, Loma LindaUniversity, Loma Linda, CA, 92350 U.S.A.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15621/ijphy/2019/v6i2/181910

Keywords:

smartphone use, smartphone addiction, craniovertebral angle,, cervical angle, forward head posture, cervical range of motion

Abstract

Background: This study examined the effects of smartphones addiction on cervical posture, and compared the cervical range of motion (ROM) between addicted and non-addicted boys and girls 8 to 13 years of age.

Methods: Twenty-four boys and 26 girls were assigned to 2 groups; addicted group (score > 32, n=32) and non-addicted group (score ≤ to 32, n=18). Craniovertebral Angle (CVA) was assessed using side view photographs, forward head posture (FHP) was measured using ImageJ 64 software, and cervical ROM in each direction was measured using a cervical (CROM) device.

Results: A forward multiple regression showed that addiction score and body mass index (BMI) were significant predictors of CVA (R2 =0.31, p<0.001). Twenty-three percent of the variability in CVA was related to addiction score. A forward logistic regression showed that addiction to smartphone use and BMI were significant predictors of having FHP, and participants who were addicted were more than four times as likely to have FHP than those who were not: Odds Ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI)=4.5 (1.2, 10.7), p= 0.03. A significant reduction was found in mean cervical angle in addicted versus non-addicted boys (49.4±6.7 vs. 55.5±7.6,η2=0.5, p=0.03) and girls (47.3±6.3 vs. 52.9±6.1,η2=0.9, p=0.02). A significantly more limited cervical ROM found in most neck movements in addicted participants with FHP compared to participants without FHP.

Conclusion: Children who are addicted to smartphones may develop faulty habitual posture due to constant neck flexion downward, which may place them at high risk of spine abnormalities.

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