Abstract
BACKGROUND: Students are among the groups that use smartphones for long periods throughout the day and night. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between smartphone characteristics and the prevalence of hand discomfort among university students. METHODS: This study included 204 university students, selected based on their willingness to participate and inclusion criteria. Participants reported hand pain and discomfort by completing the Cornell Hand Discomfort Questionnaire (CHDQ). Personal information was collected through a demographic questionnaire. Smartphone characteristics were obtained from the Internet based on the smartphone model self-reported by students. RESULTS: According to the Cornell questionnaire, 59.3% of students reported experiencing discomfort in their right hand, while 38.2% reported discomfort in their left hand due to smartphone use. Furthermore, 36.3% of students reported experiencing pain in two or more regions on their right hand, while 20.1% reported pain in two or more areas on their left hand. More than half of the students in the right hand (53.5%) and more than one-third (33.3%) in the left hand obtained pain scores of more than 1.5. The chi-square test indicated a statistically significant relationship between the weight of the smartphone and the prevalence of discomfort in the right hand (χ(2) = 4.80, p = 0.03). Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship was found between the discomfort or pain scores experienced in both hands and the number of painful areas in those hands (right hand: χ(2) = 219.04, p = 0.00; left hand: χ(2) = 213.13, p = 0.00). CONCLUSIONS: Smartphone use can cause discomfort and pain in the hands of university students. The physical characteristics of the smartphone, such as its weight, play a significant role in contributing to right-hand-related pain among students. It is important to consider ergonomic factors in smartphone design and usage to reduce musculoskeletal problems among users, especially students.