Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41020106›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychology2025

Gaming through the pain: psychological flow and self-efficacy amid musculoskeletal challenges in eSports.

Samiah Alqabbani, Reema Alhussaini, Shumukh Alsaedan, Manar Alfaqi, Reema Almudaifer, Najd Zainaldeen, Hanan Alsaeed, Maha Algabbani, Wafa Alahmari, Afrah Almuwais and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Samiah AlqabbaniDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Reema AlhussainiDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Shumukh AlsaedanDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Manar AlfaqiDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Reema AlmudaiferDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Najd ZainaldeenDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Hanan AlsaeedDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Maha AlgabbaniDepartment of Rehabilitation Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Wafa AlahmariDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Afrah AlmuwaisDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Madawi AlotaibiDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: The rapid expansion of eSports has highlighted concerns regarding the physical and psychological well-being of professional gamers, which have intensified. Methods: This study examined the prevalence of Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and its association with flow states and self-efficacy among two hundred and thirty-two male professional gamers registered with the Saudi eSports Federation. Participants completed validated tools: the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Flow 4D16, and General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE-3). Descriptive and multivariate analyses were used. Results: MSK pain was highly prevalent (72%), especially in the neck (38.4%), lower back (31.5%), and wrists/hands (24.1%). Logistic regression identified input tool and device category as significant predictors of shoulder pain ( Discussion: These findings suggest a degree of psychological resilience among eSports athletes, underscoring the complexity of physical-psychological interplay in gaming contexts. Future studies should explore mediating factors such as pain coping, motivation, and recovery behaviors.

Indexed as

digital athleteseSportsflow stategaming performancemusculoskeletal painSaudi Arabiaself-efficacy

Identifiers

PMID41020106
PMCPMC12465118

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.