Musculoskeletal symptoms among adult smartphone and tablet device users: a retrospective study.
Ella Thorburn, Rodney Pope, Shaoyu Wang
PMID 33422154WHAT IT FOUND
Most users reported neck stiffness or discomfort starting within 30 minutes.
Tablet use over 30 minutes per session was linked to more symptoms in young adults, but smartphone duration was not. People who rested their device on a stand reported fewer symptoms than those holding it.
Key findings
01Over half of the participants reported musculoskeletal symptoms during or after device use, with most starting within the first 30 minutes.
02Tablet users who used the device for more than 30 minutes per session were more likely to report symptoms than those with shorter sessions, a link that was significant in the 18–24 age group but not in adults over 25.
03Participants who did not hold their device, using a cradle or stand instead, had the lowest reported symptom prevalence compared to those who held it by hand.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study relied on retrospective self-reporting over a two-week period, which introduces recall bias. Participants were recruited via social media and university networks, limiting generalizability to the broader population. The cross-sectional design cannot prove that device use causes symptoms, only that they are associated. Some subgroups, such as left-hand-only holders, had very small sample sizes, making those findings unstable.
Declared interests
No competing interests were declared. The study was approved by the Charles Sturt University Human Research Ethics Committee.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that limiting smartphone use to 15 minutes will prevent symptoms for everyone. The significant association with duration was found only for tablet users, and the 15-minute threshold was a general observation of onset time, not a proven preventative limit for smartphones.