The role of psychological patterns and duration of smartphone and laptop use on neck pain

The present study investigates the role of psychological patterns and the duration of smartphone and laptop use on neck pain.

The statistical population of this correlational study included all students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad-Iran, in the academic year of 2021-2022. Two-hundred forty-two students were selected by the multi-stage cluster method. The data were gathered through NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI), Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21), Nordic Neck Pain Scale, and a researcher-made questionnaire to check smartphone and laptop usage hours. Information and data were analyzed using the structural equation model.

The results showed that personality traits and their dimensions (such as flexibility, neuroticism, introversion/extroversion, work conscientiousness, and agreeableness), psychological stress and its subscales (anxiety, depression, and stress), and the duration of using smartphone and laptop could not have a significant effect on neck pain (P> 0.05) (Power AGFI> 0.90, Power RMSEA> 0.90).

Based on the findings, psychological patterns and the duration of smartphone and laptop use have no significant effects on neck pain, and it is necessary to use more accurate tools to investigate in a wider and deeper way.