ArticleFrontiers in public health2023
Excessive use of electronic devices among children and adolescents is associated with musculoskeletal symptoms, visual symptoms, psychosocial health, and quality of life: a cross-sectional study.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Digital Addiction Scale for Children (DASC): Age, Gender, Sleep and Emotional Correlates.Europe's journal of psychology · 2026Article
- Longitudinal associations of traditional and cyberbullying victimization with perceived stress in adolescents: findings from the STARS cohort.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Article
- Lifestyle patterns and their associations with overweight and obesity among children aged 4-9 years in the United Arab Emirates.The British journal of nutrition · 2025Article
- Computer Vision Syndrome Among Saudi University Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Risks and Discipline Variations.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Misinformation and disinformation undermine progress in pediatric research: challenges and solutions.Pediatric research · 2025Article
- Digital Media Use and Screen Time Exposure Among Youths: A Lifestyle-Based Public Health Concern.Cureus · 2025Review
- Assessment of digital eye strain and its associated factors among school children in Palestine.BMC ophthalmology · 2025Article
- Evaluating Tech Neck: A Pilot Study Using a Self-Developed Questionnaire on Symptoms, Posture, and Preventive Measures.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Association between near visual display device usage and the eye's accommodation and vergence parameters: a cross-sectional study of high school children in Cape Coast, Ghana.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Prevalence and Interrelationships of Screen Time, Visual Disorders, and Neck Pain Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study at Majmaah University.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Usage of Electronic Gadgets on Sleep Quality and Physical Activity Levels Among Undergraduate Nursing Students in Karnataka, India.Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social MedicineArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: Electronic devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. The frequency and duration of device use in children and adolescents have increased drastically over the years and the study of its negative musculoskeletal, visual and psychosocial health impacts is necessary. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the associations between electronic device use and the prevalence and severity of musculoskeletal symptoms, visual symptoms, psychosocial health, and quality of life in children and adolescents studying at primary and secondary schools. Data were collected through confidential online and paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Primary 4-5 and Secondary 1-4 students were recruited from 3 schools in Hong Kong. Demographics, frequency and duration of electronic device use, frequencies of musculoskeletal symptoms, visual symptoms, psychosocial health, and quality of life outcomes were measured. Results: 1,058 children and adolescents aged 9-17 years participated. Sixty-one percent and 78% of all students spent more than 2 h per day using electronic devices during school days and weekend/holidays, respectively. Extended electronic device use was associated with increased prevalence and severity of musculoskeletal symptoms (ρ's = 0.28-0.33, P's < 0.001), visual symptoms (ρ's = 0.33-0.35, P's < 0.001), and poorer device use-related psychosocial health (ρ's = 0.38-0.47, P's < 0.001). Secondary school students reported greater device use and severity of symptoms than primary school students. Conclusion: Excessive electronic device use was associated with increased prevalence and severity of physical and psychosocial symptoms, and such use is more prevalent in adolescents when compared to the children. The findings have important health implications for children and adolescents, suggesting that early intervention is needed to reduce the risk of developing device use-related disorders.
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