ANTHROPOMETRIC AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN MEDICAL AND SPORTS STUDENTS WITH TEXT NECK SYNDROME

Abstract

Aim. To identify a cause-and-effect relationship between musculoskeletal pain and the use of mobile phones among university students based on their anthropometric and psychophysiological characteristics. Materials and methods. The study involved 157 university students from the faculties of dentistry (Bashkir State Medical University, BSMU) and sports and adaptive physical education (Bashkir Institute of Physical Education, BIPE). The mean age of students was 21.36 ± 0.26 years. All study participants were active mobile phone users and had complaints of headaches and pain in the shoulder girdle and the spine. A two-stage study was conducted with a questionnaire method and clinical and instrumental tests, including the evaluation of pain intensity, muscle tone, postural angles, and smartphone addiction. All participants were assigned to the main or control (n = 12) groups; the former consisted of two subgroups and involved students of BSMU (n = 70) and BIPE (n = 21). Results. Excessive use of smartphones leads to the formation of musculoskeletal pain associated with impaired posture, the formation of areas of hypertension, and the development of addiction. Changes in the musculoskeletal system are more pronounced in BSMU students. Conclusions. The study showed the negative effect of excessive smartphone use on the formation of musculoskeletal pain and addiction, which is more pronounced in BSMU students compared to BIPE students and the control group.