The effect of smartphone use in different body positions on upper limb kinematic variables
Abstract
This study aimed to identify the values of certain kinematic variables during smartphone use in different body positions and to examine the differences in these values across positions. An analytical descriptive method was employed on a sample of 20 sports activity students from Tafila Technical University (age 20 ± 0.6 years; height 175 ± 2 cm; mass 70 ± 2kg). The study sample was videotaped using a Panasonic video camera at 50 frames per second in three different positions: sitting, standing, and walking. The video data were analyzed using the Kinovea program (version 0.8.27 x64). The results showed a large head flexion angle and a notable distance between the smartphone and the head. Furthermore, statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the distance between the smartphone and the head and in the elbow angle, particularly favoring the sitting position. In contrast, no statistically significant differences were found for the head flexion angle and other study variables (p > 0.05), except for the elbow angle in the sitting position (p < 0.05). Smartphone use has been associated with negative effects that increase the load on the neck muscles and upper limbs, potentially leading to neck and shoulder pain as well as increased spinal curvature.
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References
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The works and papers that are published in this Journal are subject to the following terms:
1. The Publication Service of the University of Murcia (the publisher) has the Publication Rights (Copyright) to the published papers and works, and favors and permits the reusing of the same under the license indicated in point 2.
© Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, 2013
2. The papers and works are to be published in the digital edition of the Journal under the license Creative Commons Reconocimiento-No Comercial-Sin Obra Derivada 3.0 España (legal text). The copying, using, spreading, transmitting and publicly displaying of the papers, works or publication are permitted as long as: i) the authors and original sources (Journal, publisher and URL of the publication) are quoted; ii) it is not used for commercial benefit; iii) the existence and specifications of this users license are mentioned.
3. Conditions of Self-Archiving. It is permitted and encouraged that the authors spread electronically the pre-print (before printing) and/or post-print (the revised, evaluated and accepted) versions of their papers or works before their publication since this favors their circulation and early diffusion and therefore can help increase their citation and quotation, and also there reach through the academic community.
