The effect of technology on the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders in students of high school in Greece

Abstract

Background: There has been a rise in the proliferation of technological devices across the globe. Many children use electronic devices from the age of 3 years old, especially mobile phones. The prolonged use of electronic devices has led to a distortion of body posture, leading to musculoskeletal disorders, including neck, thoracic, and back pain, and tendonitis of the upper extremities, primarily when using one hand. Methods: To prove the positive correlation between technology and musculoskeletal disorders and to answer the above questions, an online questionnaire was distributed to 120 students of high school from all over Greece. The questionnaire comprises questions from two standardized questionnaires, the internet addiction test (IAT) and the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NQS). In addition, respondents completed a medical history and supplementary questions about their physical condition and their attitudes when using electronic devices. Results: The results show that there is a positive correlation between long-term use of electronic devices and the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems in all parts of the body (neck, chest, lower back, hip, and lower extremities), as well as students who chose the wrong postures, had much more symptoms in contrast to the students who chose the positions with the greatest alignment. Finally, physical activity decreased significantly as the respondents' hours of using electronic devices increased. Conclusions: Uncontrolled use of electronic devices can be a factor in the onset of symptoms, but adopting correct posture while using the devices and the good physical condition of the students would significantly reduce pain.