ABSTRACT
Background: This study examined the effects of smartphones addiction on cervical posture, and compared the cervical range of motion (ROM) between addicted and non-addicted boys and girls 8 to 13 years of age. Methods: Twenty-four boys and 26 girls were assigned to 2 groups; addicted group (score > 32, n=32) and non-addicted group (score ≤ to 32, n=18). Craniovertebral Angle (CVA) was assessed using side view photographs, forward head posture (FHP) was measured using ImageJ 64 software, and cervical ROM in each direction was measured using a cervical (CROM) device. Results: A forward multiple regression showed that addiction score and body mass index (BMI) were significant predictors of CVA (R2 =0.31, p<0.001). Twenty-three percent of the variability in CVA was related to addiction score. A forward logistic regression showed that addiction to smartphone use and BMI were significant predictors of having FHP, and participants who were addicted were more than four times as likely to have FHP than those who were not: Odds Ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI)=4.5 (1.2, 10.7), p= 0.03. A significant reduction was found in mean cervical angle in addicted versus non-addicted boys (49.4±6.7 vs. 55.5±7.6,η2=0.5, p=0.03) and girls (47.3±6.3 vs. 52.9±6.1,η2=0.9, p=0.02). A significantly more limited cervical ROM found in most neck movements in addicted participants with FHP compared to participants without FHP. Conclusion: Children who are addicted to smartphones may develop faulty habitual posture due to constant neck flexion downward, which may place them at high risk of spine abnormalities.