The impact of smartphone addiction and posture on the prevalence of hand pain among university students.

backgroundExcessive smartphone use among students may cause pain in the hands and fingers. This study aimed to investigate the association between smartphone addiction scores, commonly used smartphone holding postures, and the occurrence of wrist and finger pain in university students.

methodsThis cross-sectional study included 227 university students from Kozaklı Vocational School at Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Turkey. Participants were recruited via voluntary in-class announcements. Data were collected through a demographic questionnaire. The Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) was used to assess smartphone addiction levels. Participants reported the five most common smartphone holding postures they used (e.g., one-handed texting, two-thumb typing). Pain prevalence, frequency, severity, and impact on daily activities were evaluated using the Cornell Hand Discomfort Questionnaire (CHDQ).

resultsThe study revealed that the average age of participants was 19.8 ± 3.07 years. A total of 76.65% reported experiencing pain in one or both hands, with the right hand being the most commonly affected. Higher smartphone addiction scores were significantly associated with increased pain in all evaluated hand areas for both hands (p ≤ 0.001). While no statistically significant relationship was found between hand pain and smartphone-holding postures overall, Posture 5 (two-handed use with thumbs) was frequently associated with higher discomfort reports in multiple hand regions, particularly in pinkle, ring, and thumb fingers.

conclusionHigher smartphone addiction levels are linked to increased hand pain in students. These findings highlight the need for ergonomic education and preventive interventions to reduce musculoskeletal risks associated with excessive smartphone use.