Smartphone Addiction, Posture and Breathing Control in University Students

May 22, 2026 updated by: Emel Mete, Istanbul Medeniyet University

Effects of Smartphone Addiction on Posture and Breathing Control in University Students: The Role of Physical Activity and Demographic Factors

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of smartphone addiction on postural problems and breathing control in healthy university students.

Excessive smartphone use has been associated with forward head posture, thoracic postural changes, and musculoskeletal complaints. These postural alterations may negatively influence respiratory biomechanics and breathing control. However, the relationship between smartphone addiction, postural deterioration, and dysfunctional breathing symptoms has not been comprehensively investigated.

Participants will complete questionnaires assessing smartphone addiction and breathing control, and posture will be evaluated using the New York Posture Rating Chart. Binary logistic regression analysis will be performed to determine whether smartphone addiction independently predicts postural problems. Additionally, multiple linear regression analyses will be conducted to examine the association between smartphone addiction, posture, and breathing control.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This cross-sectional observational study will be conducted between April and September 2026 in healthy university students aged 18-35 years.

Following written informed consent, participants will complete a sociodemographic form including age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, and daily smartphone usage duration.

Smartphone addiction levels will be evaluated using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form (SAS-SV). Breathing control and dysfunctional breathing symptoms will be assessed using the Self Evaluation of Breathing Questionnaire (SEBQ). Postural assessment will be performed using the New York Posture Rating Chart (NYPRC).

Participants will additionally be categorized according to smartphone addiction status using validated cutoff values for the SAS-SV. Postural status will also be categorized according to NYPRC scores.

Binary logistic regression analysis will be performed to determine whether smartphone addiction is an independent predictor of postural problems. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) will be reported. Multiple linear regression analysis will additionally be used to examine the relationship between smartphone addiction, posture scores, and breathing control scores while adjusting for potential confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, and smartphone usage duration.

The study aims to provide evidence regarding the musculoskeletal and respiratory consequences of excessive smartphone use in young adults.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
300

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul
      • Maltepe, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), (537) 609-6265
        • Recruiting
        • Emel Mete
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Reyhan Kaygusuz, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Berivan Beril Kılıç, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy university students aged 18-35 years

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18 and 35 years
  • Smartphone user
  • Ability to stand independently
  • Ability to perform activities of daily living independently
  • Ability to understand assessment instructions
  • Voluntary participation with signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • • History of fracture

    • Cardiovascular disease
    • Pulmonary disease
    • Neurological or orthopedic disorders affecting posture or breathing
    • Inability to understand instructions

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Smartphone addiction group
Participants with smartphone addiction according to Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form cutoff values.
Other: Observational Assessment
Participants will complete questionnaires assessing smartphone addiction, physical activity level, and breathing control. Postural assessment will be performed using the New York Posture Rating Chart. The study will investigate the association between smartphone addiction, postural problems, and breathing control in university students.
Non-addicted group
Participants without smartphone addiction according to Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form cutoff values.
Other: Observational Assessment
Participants will complete questionnaires assessing smartphone addiction, physical activity level, and breathing control. Postural assessment will be performed using the New York Posture Rating Chart. The study will investigate the association between smartphone addiction, postural problems, and breathing control in university students.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Presence of postural problems
Time Frame: baseline
Posture will be evaluated using the New York Posture Rating Chart (NYPRC). Participants will be categorized according to posture status. Lower scores indicate poorer posture.
baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Smartphone addiction severity
Time Frame: Baseline
Smartphone addiction severity will be assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form (SAS-SV). Higher scores indicate greater smartphone addiction.
Baseline
Breathing control
Time Frame: baseline
Breathing control and dysfunctional breathing symptoms will be evaluated using the Self Evaluation of Breathing Questionnaire (SEBQ). Higher scores indicate greater dysfunctional breathing symptoms.
baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Istanbul Medeniyet University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: EMEL METE, Istanbul Medeniyet University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 5, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 5, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 22, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 29, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 22, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • SMARTPOSTURE

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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