Correlation Between Smartphone Addiction and Back Dysfunction and Core Muscle Morphology and Performance in Asymptomatic Young Adults

The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between smartphone addiction and back pain, function, and lumbar stabilizer cross-sectional area and thickness compared with non-addicted teenagers.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Smartphone Addiction; Back Disorder

Detailed Description

Smartphone prolonged use has been suggested as a risk factor for psychological, visual, and musculoskeletal dysfunctions. The musculoskeletal dysfunction may be related to direct contact use with smartphones as in thumb, elbow, and neck pain. Moreover, indirect long use of smartphones may affect thoracic, lumbar, and lower limbs.

COVID-19 pandemic occurred in a time of outstanding scientific progress and global digitalization. Therefore, smartphone usage became a must for human connection, learning, and entertainment, providing psychological and social support. In the meantime, it was observed a significant increase in overuse and addiction, especially in young and teenage females. The addiction is associated with more musculoskeletal abnormalities when compared to non-addict users. Several studies found an association between smartphone usage and back pain, concomitant with a reduction in thoracic extensors activity. This back pain may affect their quality of life and work-related productivity. However, the relationship between back dysfunction and smartphone addiction is still unclear. A few attempts were done to elucidate this relationship. Yet if proven correct, then preventive measures such as recommendations and precautions regarding smartphone use could be distributed to users by the manufacturers. Furthermore, engineering solutions are needed to optimally design smartphones to alter their weight and sizes to minimize potential adverse effects.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 136

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Dokki, Egypt, 34518
    • outpatient clinic, faculty of physical therapy, Cairo university

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 30 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Using G-power version 3.1.9.7 for windows and regarding T-test study, alpha level of 0.05, confidence interval 95% and effect size of 0.25 (to detect small effects), two groups and six dependent variables, the total sample size was 136 subjects.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age ranged from 18 years to 30 years.
2. BMI between 19.0-29.9 kg/m2.

Exclusion Criteria:

1- Previous history of spinal trauma or dysfunction. 2 - Any systemic disease that may affect spine such as ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

3 - Cognitive or memory impairment in memory or cognitive function.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Smartphone addict
Smartphone non addict

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of back function and disability	Functional disability will be assessed by the Oswestry disability questionnaire, a functional scale assessing the impact of LBP on daily activities. It is a self-administered, 10-item questionnaire: the first section rates the intensity of pain and the others describe its disabling effect on typical daily activities. The score for each item ranges from 0 to 5, the score is calculated by the addition of the values assigned for each of the 10 individual questions	at baseline only
Musculoskeletal assessment By Ultrasonography	Ultrasonography will be used for measuring CSA and MT of LMM. Muscle thickness measurement by US.	at baseline only
Core muscles strength	Core stability will be measured using prone and supine bridging as bridging maneuvers seem to be practical, reliable, and valid methods of reflecting lumbar spine stabilization endurance capability. In prone bridge each subject will be in the prone position, supporting on the elbows. The elbows will be spaced shoulder-width apart, and the feet were set with a narrow base, but not touching. The subject then asked to raise the pelvis from the floor so that only the forearms and the toes were in contact with the floor. The shoulders, hips, and ankles were maintained in a straight line.	at baseline only

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cairo University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Anticipated): April 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): June 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): June 15, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 19, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 2, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): April 11, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 11, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 2, 2022
• Last Verified: April 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Compulsive Behavior; Impulsive Behavior; Behavior, Addictive; Internet Addiction Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: Asmaa_PhD_2022

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No