The frequency of the use of information and communication technologies in school age children and musculoskeletal disorders connected with their use

Abstract

Introduction: Information and communication technology (ICT) has multiplied its availability and use, causing enormous use, particularly in school age children that use them 7.5 h a day on average. The time that adolescents spend in front of electronic screens has significantly increased between the 10th and 14th year, but there are significant changes in gender. In boys that increase is 41.6 min a day, whereas in girls, it is 22.7 min during a day. Methods: The study is designed as an epidemiological, cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical, and comparative study. The study is conducted in a form of online questionnaire on Microsoft Forums platform in a period from December 15, 2021 to December 30, 2021. The respondents could access with a link and QR code at the request for consent that was previously signed by a parent/guardian and gave consent that can children participate in this study. Results: The results of this study show that school-age children usually use mobile phones with a touch screen every day during the working week (39.2%) and TV (39.5%) in the period between 2 and 3 h. The pain in the past 12 months caused by ICT use was mostly present in the area of neck/shoulders (42.4%), while the pain during the previous month was mostly present in lower extremities (29.1%). Conclusion: Increased use of ICT devices related to higher levels of musculoskeletal symptoms. Higher exposure to pain in various segments of the body is a reason of concern, and further research on the implication of their use among adolescents is necessary and justified.