Prevalence and Associated Factors of Clinical Myelopathy Signs in Smartphone-Using University Students with Neck Pain

Abstract

University students have the highest smartphone-use addiction, which coincides with a rising number in instances of neck pain. As the time in smartphone use increases, neck flexion tends to increase. These positions can affect the spinal cord by the direct and indirect mechanisms which lead to cervical myelopathy. Thus, the current study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of clinical myelopathic signs in smartphone-using university students with neck pain. A total of 237 smartphone-using university students with neck pain participated in the study. They were 20 to 25 years old. Their clinical myelopathic signs were evaluated using standardized test procedures. The prevalence of the clinical myelopathic sign was the Trömner sign at 41.35%, the finger escape sign at 28.27%, Hoffmann’s sign at 25.74%, and the inverted supinator sign at 18.14%. Smartphone usage ≥9.15 h per day was associated with ≥1 of a positive clinical myelopathic sign (adjusted OR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.05 to 3.26, p = 0.05). The current study highlighted that prolonged smartphone usage may affect the spinal cord. Long duration (≥9 h per day) was associated with at least one positive clinical myelopathic sign. Therefore, smartphone-using university students need to keep their duration of smartphone use to less than 9 h per day. More attention should be given to increasing awareness about the importance of having healthy positions when using smartphones and using them for restricted durations in order to control the increasing prevalence of cervical myelopathy among smartphone-using university student in our societies.