Comfort and discomfort during smartphone use on a bed.
Sumalee Udomboonyanupap, Stella Boess, Luciana Ribeiro Monteiro and 1 others
PMID 33337424WHAT IT FOUND
Smartphone users on a bed felt most comfortable at backrest angles of 142 to 120 degrees.
Even in that preferred position, 36% reported lower-back discomfort and 24% neck discomfort.
Key findings
01Participants reported the greatest comfort at backrest angles of 142 and 120 degrees, and these two angles did not differ significantly.
02In the preferred position, 36% of participants reported lower-back discomfort and 24% reported neck discomfort.
0363% of participants used the smartphone with two thumbs, and using two thumbs or one finger did not significantly change comfort across the angles.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The participants were 52 adults aged 22 to 30, all of higher education, so the findings may not apply to patients or people outside this age and education range. Each position lasted only a few minutes, so the study may not capture discomfort from longer smartphone use. Because each person used their own smartphone and chose their own tasks, the study did not control device or task demands. The tested angles were fixed at 177, 162, 142, 120, 99 and 75 degrees, so comfort at intermediate angles was not directly tested. The study measured comfort and discomfort in smartphone users, not pain or function in patients.
Declared interests
The paper states no conflicts of interest to report.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the preferred bed angle range as a therapy for neck or lower-back pain. The study measured comfort in young smartphone users for a few minutes, and discomfort remained common in the preferred position.