SynthesisPloS one2017
The associations of mobile touch screen device use with musculoskeletal symptoms and exposures: A systematic review.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Screen time and health issues in Chinese school-aged children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2022Pooled it
- The associations of mobile touch screen device use with musculoskeletal symptoms and exposures: A systematic review.PloS one · 2017Pooled it
- Peer-Mediated Digital Awareness Among Adolescents: Insights from a CAWI-Based Assessment at the European Researchers' Night.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Article
- Walking Speed Modulates Neck-Shoulder Strain During Smartphone Use with Backpack Load.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Gender differences in the prevalence and association between smartphone addiction and musculoskeletal disorders among vocational school students in Shanghai.Preventive medicine reports · 2025Article
- Gender-specific biomechanical effects of smartphone use with backpack load during standing and walking.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Gait biomechanics and postural adaptations in forward head posture: a comparative cross-sectional study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Global, regional and national burden of neck pain in children and adolescents: GBD 2021 systematic analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- The association between smartphone addiction and thumb/wrist pain among medical students of Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, A cross-sectional study.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2024Article
- Prevalence and Associated Factors of Physical Complaints Among Japanese Esports Players: A Cross-Sectional Study.Cureus · 2024Article
- Gender differences in neck muscle activity during near-maximum forward head flexion while using smartphones with varied postures.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Assessing the Preservation of Lumbar Lordotic Curvature in Everyday Sitting Conditions Assessed with an Inertial Measurement System.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Text neck is not associated with neck and upper limb disability in young adults who use smartphones.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2024Observational
- Article
- Neck and Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Symptoms Secondary to Maladaptive Postures Caused by Cell Phones and Backpacks in School-Aged Children and Adolescents.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Design guidelines for limiting and eliminating virtual reality-induced symptoms and effects at work: a comprehensive, factor-oriented review.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Review
- Article
- [Influence of screen time on the sleep quality of students].Somnologie : Schlafforschung und Schlafmedizin = Somnology : sleep research and sleep medicine · 2023Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe use of mobile touch screen devices (MTSDs) has increased rapidly over the last decade, and there are concerns that their use may have negative musculoskeletal consequences; yet evidence on the association of MTSD use with musculoskeletal symptoms and exposures is currently dispersed. The aim of this study was to systematically review available literature on musculoskeletal symptoms and exposures associated with MTSD use. The synthesised information may facilitate wise use of MTSDs and may identify areas in need of further research.
methodsEMBASE, Medline, Scopus, PsycINFO and Proquest electronic databases were searched for articles published up to June 2016, using keywords describing MTSD, musculoskeletal symptoms (e.g. pain, discomfort) and musculoskeletal exposures (e.g. posture, muscle activity). Two reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted relevant data and assessed methodological quality of included studies. Due to heterogeneity in the studies, a meta-analysis was not possible and a structured narrative synthesis of the findings was undertaken.
resultsA total of 9,908 articles were screened for eligibility with 45 articles finally included for review. Included articles were of cross-sectional, case-control or experimental laboratory study designs. No longitudinal studies were identified. Findings were presented and discussed in terms of the amount, features, tasks and positions of MTSD use and its association with musculoskeletal symptoms and musculoskeletal exposures.
conclusionsThere is limited evidence that MTSD use, and various aspects of its use (i.e. amount of usage, features, tasks and positions) are associated with musculoskeletal symptoms and exposures. This is due to mainly low quality experimental and case-control laboratory studies, with few cross-sectional and no longitudinal studies. Further research is warranted in order to develop guidelines for wise use of MTSDs.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.