Prevalence of Smartphone Addiction and its Correlation with Forward Head Posture and Neck Disability among Physiotherapy Students

Background: A smart phone is a device which is used for voice and data communication. Smartphone addiction is defined as a behavioral addiction, loss of control by excessive immersion and obsessions to smartphone use. Forward head posture is a poor habitual neck posture defined by hyperextension of the upper cervical along with forward translation of the cervical vertebrae and is identified by measuring craniovertebral angle. Normal craniovertebral angle is 49.9 degrees. Hours of spending on smart phone leads to poor posture and pain and compromise the pain sensitive structures around neck leading to neck disability. So, the present study was aimed to find out the prevalence of smartphone addiction among physiotherapy students and to further find out its correlation with forward head posture by using craniovertebral angle and also with neck disability. Materials and methodology: The study was carried out in the population of 199 physiotherapy students at Dr Ulhas patil college of physiotherapy who use smartphone daily. Data was collected by using structured interview questionnaire, Smartphone Addiction Scale-SV, Neck Disability Index and the photographic postural analysis of CVA for FHP. Secured scores of the scales were analyzed and presence of FHP was confirmed to further identify the correlation between smartphone addiction, FHP and neck disability. Result: A significant correlation was seen between Smartphone Addiction & CVA(FHP) (r=-0.59), Smartphone Addiction & Neck Disability (r=0.79) and CVA(FHP) & Neck Disability (r=-0.57). Conclusion: The study concludes that there is higher prevalence of smartphone addiction among physiotherapy students which in turn leads to forward head posture causing neck disability.