Screen Time and Musculoskeletal Pain in Dental Students

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association between screen time and musculoskeletal pain in dentistry students at a Brazilian public university. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students enrolled in the undergraduate program. Data collection was carried out through the application of a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Pain and Electronic Media Questionnaire involving a population group of 229 students with specific characteristics, using a convenience sampling method. Due to the pandemic, data was collected from January to December 2022 using Google Forms. Results: Most researched participants were from the 7th to the 10th period. It was possible to verify that 95.6% stated that their cell phone is the most used equipment. Furthermore, 71.6% reported using their cell phone five or more hours daily. The students also mentioned that 61.6% experienced back pain, 56.3% experienced neck pain when using a computer, 31% reported back pain, and 20.1% reported neck pain when playing electronic games. Regarding cell phone use, the locations where pain was most frequently reported were the wrists and hands (49.8%). Conclusion: The study highlights the impact of prolonged screen time on musculoskeletal pain among dental students, emphasizing the need for ergonomic interventions and educational programs to address and prevent discomfort associated with extensive use of digital devices.