Impacts and Attitudes of Posture on Daily Function, Disability, and Psychological Measures in College Students

Background: College students engage in large amounts of sedentary behavior which have been linked to adverse mental health outcomes. Poor postural habits due to the increase in this behavior, in conjunction with prolonged mobile phone usage, can lead to poor posture in these younger populations. As such, this study aims to identify how college-students feel about their posture, the prevalence of pain patterns, psychological status, and their knowledge of intervention options available. Methods: A descriptive, observation survey study collected data from a healthy college-age population of 58 male and 100 female (n = 158) (mean = 21.6 ± 1.9y). Survey included assessments of self-perceived attitudes regarding posture, ergonomics, neck disability (NDI), mental health outcomes, knowledge of postural rehabilitation techniques, and range of motion (ROM). Results: In total, 88.6% of participants wished their posture was better, 93.7% and 96.2% believed their standing and sitting postures could be improved, respectively. Thirty-five percent of participants qualified as Mild or Moderate Disability based upon their cumulative NDI scores. Strong correlations (r = 0.61) between participants' self-reported need to improve standing and sitting posture, and a moderate correlation (r = -0.47) between pain when sitting and total NDI. Conclusion: We noted a prevalence of posture-related issues and the impacts on daily function including sleeping and sitting. Future research should look to objectively assess posture through validated measures to investigate the extent of posture-related pain and dysfunction. To alleviate early-onset neck pain and reduce the risk of developing future chronic neck pain, college aged populations need education on proper posture and rehabilitation interventions designed to alleviate pain and dysfunction over the short-and long-term.