ArticleJournal of pain research2026
A Cross-Sectional Survey on Musculoskeletal Pain Among Professional and Non-Professional Gamers in Saudi Arabia: Associations with Gaming Genre, Duration, and Ergonomic Factors.
Article in Journal of pain research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: Musculoskeletal (MSK) discomfort is a common concern among gamers globally, with prevalence estimates of 60-80%. Risk factors include prolonged sitting, awkward postures, repetitive hand use, and inadequate hardware setups. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and association of MSK pain with game genre, device type, and gaming duration among gamers in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on comparing professional and non-professional gamers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 593 Saudi gamers aged 18 years and older was conducted from February to April 2024 using the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Demographic and gaming-related variables were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression to examine associations with MSK pain. Results: MSK pain was reported by 78.2% (neck 49.4%, lower back 40.0%). Pain was associated with gender, age, and genre. Females had higher odds of neck (OR 2.08) and shoulder pain (OR 2.43); puzzle with shoulder pain (OR 2.46); VR with lower neck odds (OR 0.36). Longer duration increased discomfort. Non-professionals more often reported neck/shoulder/lower-back pain; professionals more wrist/hand pain. Conclusion: MSK pain is highly prevalent among Saudi gamers and is associated with personal factors (eg, gender, age) as well as gaming genre. Competitive status may be associated with specific pain patterns, but ergonomic risk factors appear to be appear broadly relevant. Implementing targeted interventions that focus on posture, education, and proper gaming ergonomics may be warranted to help alleviate the MSK burden in this population.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.