The Impact of Using Technological Devices on Mental and Physical Health in Adolescents

Musa Doruk; Rustem Mustafaoglu; Hülya Gül

doi:10.58600/eurjther.20232902-592.y

Authors

Musa Doruk Istanbul Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training Hospital, Health Sciences University, Istanbul, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0524-2052
Rustem Mustafaoglu Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7030-0787
Hülya Gül Public Health Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3920-1542

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58600/eurjther.20232902-592.y

Keywords:

technological devices, adolescents, adolescents health, screen time, musculoskeletal pain, health problems

Abstract

Objectives: In recent years, adolescents spend increasingly more time on technologic devices such as smartphones, televisions, computers, and tablets. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the usage of digital technology and health-related problems among adolescents.

Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted by using a face-to-face survey administered to a sample of students studying at 4 randomly chosen public middle school and 4 randomly chosen public high school in the city of Istanbul. In this study recruited 1147 volunteer adolescents. All participants were answered a questionnaire regarding the demographic characteristics, technological devices useage patterns and health-related problems.

Results: Most of the adolescents had smartphones (99.4%) and the fewest had game consoles (18.2%). The rate of using television and smartphone for more than two hours a day among adolescents was 13.1% and 28.4%, respectively. A decrease in sleep duration, increase in falling asleep time, distraction, fatigue, eating disorders and psychological symptoms were significantly more present for individuals using smartphone more than two hours. A positive and very weak relationship was detected between the duration of smartphone use and neck (r=0.096; p=0.002), wrist (r=0.079; p=0.008) and shoulder (r=0.069; p=0.021) pain. Also, positive and very weak relationship was detected between the duration of computer use and upper back (r=0.102; p=0.001), lower back (r=0.078; p=0.011) and shoulder (r=0.069; p=0.041) pain.

Conclusion: This study showed the most widely used technological device among adolescents is smartphones and it was observed that the excessive use of this device among adolescents is more associated with many different health-related problems than other technological devices.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Dienlin T, Johannes N (2020) The impact of digital technology use on adolescent well-being. Dialogues Clin Neurosci.22(2):135. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.2/tdienlin

Kulakci-Altintas H (2020) Technological device use among 0–3 year old children and attitudes and behaviors of their parents towards technological devices. J Child Fam Stud. 29(1):55-61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01457-x

Radovic A, Badawy SM (2020) Technology use for adolescent health and wellness. Pediatrics.145(Supplement 2):S186-S94. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2056G

Scherr S, Wang K (2021) Explaining the success of social media with gratification niches: Motivations behind daytime, nighttime, and active use of TikTok in China. Comput Human Behav. 124:106893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106893

Ayandele O, Popoola OA, Oladiji TO (2020) Addictive use of smartphone, depression and anxiety among female undergraduates in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study. J Health Res. 34.5: 443-453. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHR-10-2019-0225

Gustafsson M-L, Laaksonen C, Salanterä S, Löyttyniemi E, Aromaa M (2019) Associations between daytime sleepiness, psychological symptoms, headache, and abdominal pain in schoolchildren. J Sch Nurs.35(4):279-86. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840518774394

Hysing M, Pallesen S, Stormark KM, Jakobsen R, Lundervold AJ, Sivertsen B (2015) Sleep and use of electronic devices in adolescence: results from a large population-based study. BMJ open. 5(1):e006748. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006748

Mei X, Zhou Q, Li X, Jing P, Wang X, Hu Z (2018) Sleep problems in excessive technology use among adolescent: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Sci Pract.2(1):1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41606-018-0028-9

Straker L, Coleman J, Skoss R, Maslen B, Burgess-Limerick R, Pollock C (2008) A comparison of posture and muscle activity during tablet computer, desktop computer and paper use by young children. Ergonomics.51(4):540-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140130701711000

Silva GRR, Pitangui ACR, Xavier MKA, Correia-Júnior MAV, Araújo RCD (2016) Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in adolescents and association with computer and videogame use. J Pediatr (Rio J). 92(2):188-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2015.06.006

Cetin H, Turkmen C, Bal GA, Tekerlek H, Bilgin S, Köse N (2022) Factors affecting the performance of the deep cervical flexors in young people using smartphones. Cranio. 25;1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/08869634.2022.2078944

Sisson SB, Broyles ST, Baker BL, Katzmarzyk PT (2010) Screen time, physical activity, and overweight in US youth: National Survey of Children’s Health 2003. J Adolesc Health. 47(3):309-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.02.016

Mireku MO, Barker MM, Mutz J, Dumontheil I, Thomas MS, Röösli M, et al. (2019) Night-time screen-based media device use and adolescents’ sleep and health-related quality of life. Environ Int.124:66-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.11.069

Chia S-E, Chia H-P, Tan J-S (2000) Prevalence of headache among handheld cellular telephone users in Singapore: a community study. Environ Health Perspect. 108(11):1059-62. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.001081059

Falkenberg HK, Johansen TR, Thorud HMS (2020) Headache, eyestrain, and musculoskeletal symptoms in relation to smartphone and tablet use in healthy adolescents. SJOVS. 13(2), 8–14. https://doi.org/10.5384/sjovs.vol13i2p8-14

Ichhpujani P, Singh RB, Foulsham W, Thakur S, Lamba AS (2019) Visual implications of digital device usage in school children: a cross-sectional study. BMC ophthalmology. 19(1):1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-019-1082-5

Zirek E, Mustafaoglu R, Yasaci Z, Griffiths MD (2020) A systematic review of musculoskeletal disorders related to mobile phone usage. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 49:102196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2020.102196

Toh SH, Coenen P, Howie EK, Mukherjee S, Mackey DA, Straker LM (2019) Mobile touch screen device use and associations with musculoskeletal symptoms and visual health in a nationally representative sample of Singaporean adolescents. Ergonomics. 62(6):778-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2018.1562107

Straker L, Harris C, Joosten J, Howie EK (2018) Mobile technology dominates school children’s IT use in an advantaged school community and is associated with musculoskeletal and visual symptoms. Ergonomics. 61(5):658-69. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2017.1401671

Domoff S, Foley R, Ferkel R (2020) Addictive phone use and academic performance in adolescents. Hum Behav & Emerg Tech. 2:33–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.171

Liu X, Luo Y, Liu ZZ, Yang Y, Liu J, Jia CX (2020) Prolonged Mobile Phone Use Is Associated with Poor Academic Performance in Adolescents. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 23(5):303-311. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2019.0591

Kamangar F, Islami F (2013) Sample size calculation for epidemiologic studies: principles and methods. Arch Iran Med. 16(5):295-300

Neyzi O, Bundak R, Gökçay G, Günöz H, Furman A, Darendeliler F, Baş F (2015) Reference Values for Weight, Height, Head Circumference, and Body Mass Index in Turkish Children. J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol. 7(4):280-293. https://doi.org/10.4274/jcrpe.2183

Kahl C, Cleland JA (2005) Visual analogue scale, numeric pain rating scale and the McGill pain Questionnaire: an overview of psychometric properties. Physical therapy reviews. 10(2):123-8. https://doi.org/10.1179/108331905X55776

Cohen J (1992) Statistical power analysis. Current directions in psychological science. 1(3):98-101. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep1076878

Harris C, Straker L, Pollock C, Smith A (2015) Children, computer exposure and musculoskeletal outcomes: the development of pathway models for school and home computer-related musculoskeletal outcomes. Ergonomics. 58(10):1611-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2015.1035762

Myrtveit SM, Sivertsen B, Skogen JC, Frostholm L, Stormark KM, Hysing M (2014) Adolescent neck and shoulder pain—the association with depression, physical activity, screen-based activities, and use of health care services. J Adolesc Health. 55(3):366-372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.02.016

Gustafsson E, Coenen P, Campbell A, Straker L (2018) Texting with touchscreen and keypad phones-A comparison of thumb kinematics, upper limb muscle activity, exertion, discomfort, and performance. Appl Ergon. 70:232-239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2018.03.003

Bickham DS, Hswen Y, Rich M (2015) Media use and depression: exposure, household rules, and symptoms among young adolescents in the USA. Int J Public Health. 60(2):147-155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-014-0647-6

Nakamura H, Ohara K, Kouda K, Fujita Y, Mase T, Miyawaki C, et al. (2012) Combined influence of media use on subjective health in elementary school children in Japan: a population-based study. BMC Public Health. 12:432. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-432

Orben A, Dienlin T, Przybylski AK (2019) Social media’s enduring effect on adolescent life satisfaction. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 21;116(21):10226-10228. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1902058116

Houghton S, Lawrence D, Hunter SC, Rosenberg M, Zadow C, Wood L, et al. (2018) Reciprocal relationships between trajectories of depressive symptoms and screen media use during adolescence. J Youth Adolesc. 47(11):2453-2467. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0901-y

Parent J, Sanders W, Forehand R (2016) Youth screen time and behavioral health problems: The role of sleep duration and disturbances. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics: J Dev Behav Pediatr. 37(4):277-284. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000000272

Cain N, Gradisar M (2010) Electronic media use and sleep in school-aged children and adolescents: A review. Sleep Med. 11(8):735-742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2010.02.006