Abstract
BACKGROUND: Due to the development of technology and the increasing prevalence of smart mobile phones, along with their long-term and frequent use by users, particularly medical students, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal problems in the neck and hand within this group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study examined the relationship between neck and hand discomfort in mobile phone users with how and how long they use smart phones in order to prevent these discomforts by recognizing the risk factors and providing solutions. Thus, basic and clinical medical students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences, who are studying in 1402, were investigated. Neck Disability Index (NDI) was used to evaluate the level of neck discomfort. Cornell Hand Discomfort Questionnaires (CHDQ) questionnaire was used to evaluate hand discomfort. Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version Questionnaire (SAS-SV) was used to evaluate smartphone addiction and finally the results were analyzed with SPSS version 26 and with inferential and descriptive statistics. RESULTS: This research included the participation of 252 medical students from Kashan University of Medical Sciences. According to the severity of neck disability, 42.9% of participating students had mild to moderate disability. The mean smartphone addiction score among the participating students was 24.10 ± 10.96. Overall, 30.6% of the students were classified as being within the range of smartphone addiction. The level of discomfort and disability of the neck and hand has a significant positive relationship with smartphone addiction (p < 0.05). The highest level of hand discomfort in the studied students was in the second area on the right side (4th and 5th fingers). Overall, our study showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between hand and neck pain and cell phone addiction. Also, the prevalence of neck pain and cell phone addiction among students is significantly high (42% and 30%, respectively), which indicates the need for interventions in this area. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.