Tech strain: the musculoskeletal impact of electronic devices on young adults: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders among young adults using handheld devices.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2022 to March 2023 at the Indus Hospital and Health Network, Karachi, and comprised young adults of either gender aged 18-25 years studying in the affiliated colleges of nursing, biomedicine and physiotherapy. Data was collected using the online RedCap questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS 26.

RESULTS

Of the 412 participants, 242(58.7%) were females. The overall median age was 21 years (interquartile range: 20-23 years). A total of 280(68%) subjects had experienced upper musculoskeletal pain, and it was significantly associated with the frequency of using handheld devices (p=0.026), gender (p=0.001), frequently used hand (p=0.039) and purpose of mobile use (p=0.033).

CONCLUSIONS

Duration of cell phone or hand-held device usage caused symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders.