Prevalence And Factors of Text Neck Syndrome Among Adolescents in Ajman, United Arab Emirates: A Cross-sectional Study

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Text Neck Syndrome (TNS) and to assess the factors contributing to TNS among adolescents. A cross-sectional study was done among 286 adolescents from a selected school and a university in the UAE. Data collection was done between August 2022 to October 2022. The primary outcome was the prevalence of TNS. A self-administered questionnaire was adopted to collect the data. Chi-square analysis and logistic regression were performed to obtain the results. The prevalence of TNS was 53%. 72.2% of the participants were female, and 53.5% were between the ages of 17-19. The following risk factors were observed— Participants using a device “often” had a 2.9 times increased risk (95% CI: 1.1-8.2) of text neck syndrome and participants using a device “all the time” had a 4.7 times increased risk of developing text neck syndrome (95% CI: 1.5-14) Hence, the frequency of smart device use increases the risk of text neck syndrome. Using a mobile phone had a 6 times increased risk (95% CI: 1.3-27.8), and participants who slouched while sitting had 3.2 times more risk for text neck syndrome (95% CI:1.7-6). The prevalence of TNS among the adolescents was 53%. Adolescents using their devices often/all the time were at an increased risk of developing TNS. Meanwhile, mobile phone usage and slouching while sitting were also significant risk factors for TNS among adolescents.