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BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 1/2012

Open Access 01-12-2012 | Research article

Musculoskeletal symptoms and computer use among Finnish adolescents - pain intensity and inconvenience to everyday life: a cross-sectional study

Authors: Paula T Hakala, Lea A Saarni, Raija-Leena Punamäki, Marjut A Wallenius, Clas-Håkan Nygård, Arja H Rimpelä

Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders | Issue 1/2012

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Abstract

Background

Musculoskeletal symptoms among adolescents are related to the time spent using a computer, but little is known about the seriousness of the symptoms or how much they affect everyday life. The purpose of the present study was to examine the intensity of musculoskeletal pain and level of inconvenience to everyday life, in relation to time spent using a computer.

Methods

In a survey, 436 school children (12 to 13 and 15 to 16 years of age), answered a questionnaire on musculoskeletal and computer-associated musculoskeletal symptoms in neck-shoulder, low back, head, eyes, hands, and fingers or wrists. Pain intensity (computer-associated symptoms) and inconvenience to everyday life (musculoskeletal symptoms) were measured using a visual analogue scale. Based on the frequency and intensity, three categories were formed to classify pain at each anatomic site: none, mild, and moderate/severe. The association with time spent using the computer was analyzed by multinomial logistic regression.

Results

Moderate/severe pain intensity was most often reported in the neck-shoulders (21%); head (20%); and eyes (14%); and moderate/severe inconvenience to everyday life was most often reported due to head (29%), neck-shoulders (21%), and low back (16%) pain. Compared with those using the computer less than 3.6 hours/week, computer use of ≥ 14 hours/week, was associated with moderate/severe increase in computer-associated musculoskeletal pain at all anatomic sites (odds ratio [OR] = 2.9-4.4), and moderate/severe inconvenience to everyday life due to low back (OR = 2.5) and head (OR = 2.0) pain.

Conclusions

Musculoskeletal symptoms causing moderate/severe pain and inconvenience to everyday life are common among adolescent computer users. Daily computer use of 2 hours or more increases the risk for pain at most anatomic sites.
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Metadata
Title
Musculoskeletal symptoms and computer use among Finnish adolescents - pain intensity and inconvenience to everyday life: a cross-sectional study
Authors
Paula T Hakala
Lea A Saarni
Raija-Leena Punamäki
Marjut A Wallenius
Clas-Håkan Nygård
Arja H Rimpelä
Publication date
01-12-2012
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2474
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-13-41

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