Association of smartphone overuse and neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Smartphone overuse is associated with both psychological and physical health problems, including depression and musculoskeletal disorders. However, the association between smartphone overuse and neck pain remains unclear. We performed a meta-analysis to examine the relation between smartphone overuse and neck pain, and to identify high-risk usage patterns.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were searched for relevant studies published up to 16 August 2023, using keywords including "smartphone" and "neck pain". Prospective, retrospective, and case-controlled studies assessing the correlation between smartphone overuse and neck pain were eligible. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Meta-regression and sensitivity analysis using the leave-one-out approach were performed to test the robustness of the results (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42024599227).

Results: Seven retrospective studies including 10 715 participants were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The mean age of the participants ranged from 19.9 to 42.9 years. The meta-analysis revealed that compared to participants without smartphone overuse, those who overused a smartphone had a significantly higher risk of neck pain (pooled adjusted odds ratio = 2.34, 95% confidence interval: 1.44-3.82).

Conclusions: These results indicate a significant association between smartphone overuse and increased risk of neck pain. Our findings underscore the necessity of addressing smartphone overuse as a health concern, especially considering its growing prevalence in modern society.