Clinical trial NCT06968078: Smartphone Addiction in University Students
Official title: Relationship Between Smartphone Addiction and Neck Angle and Balance in University Students
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Conditions: Smartphone Addiction
Lead sponsor: Karabuk University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-05-13
Enrollment: 100
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 45
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_ONLY
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Individuals who use smartphones and do not have any chronic diseases will be included in the study.

Brief summary: Smartphone usage has increased significantly in the last decade and smartphones have changed our lives to a great extent. Smartphone usage has advantages as well as disadvantages and therefore brings phone addiction with it. Smartphone addiction is defined as excessive use of smartphones to the extent that it disturbs the daily lives of users. It has been stated in the literature that phone addiction can cause some disorders in individuals. Changes in neck posture and balance may be among the symptoms affected in this context. However, the relationship between excessive smartphone usage and neck proprioception, angle and balance is not clear in the literature. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the relationship between smartphone addiction and neck angle, proprioception and balance.

Detailed description: Smartphones are not only a source of communication, information and entertainment today, but are also used for taking photos, playing games and surfing the internet. For this reason, smartphone use is increasing. In addition to all these advantages, excessive use of smartphones also brings phone addiction. Smartphone addiction is defined as the excessive use of smartphones to the extent that they disturb the daily lives of users. Smartphone addiction causes various disorders in individuals for this reason. The most important of these disorders are neck pain, anxiety and visual fatigue. In addition, excessive phone use can cause problems in neck movements and change neck posture. Therefore, sensory functions can also be affected. However, when the literature is examined, the relationship between smartphone use and neck proprioception, angle and balance is unknown. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between smartphone addiction and neck angle, proprioception and balance and to compare these parameters according to smartphone addiction.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Between the ages of 18-45
* Having a smartphone
* Volunteer to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals reporting orthopaedic, neurological, psychiatric and otological diseases will not be included in the study.
* Also, individuals with diagnosed vertigo will not be included in the study.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Smartphone addiction scale
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Neck posture
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Neck proprioception
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Body balance
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Dizziness imbalance
timeFrame: Baseline
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Karabük
country: Turkey
facility: Karabuk University, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Application and Research Center
Study officials:
affiliation: Karabuk University
name: Musa Gunes
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
affiliation: Karabuk University
name: Emre Söylemez, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Karabuk University
name: Aydın Sinan Apaydın, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Alhazmi AA, Alzahrani SH, Baig M, Salawati EM, Alkatheri A. Prevalence and factors associated with smartphone addiction among medical students at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. Pak J Med Sci. 2018 Jul-Aug;34(4):984-988. doi: 10.12669/pjms.344.15294.
citation: Kumar VA, Chandrasekaran V, Brahadeeswari H. Prevalence of smartphone addiction and its effects on sleep quality: A cross-sectional study among medical students. Ind Psychiatry J. 2019 Jan-Jun;28(1):82-85. doi: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_56_19. Epub 2019 Dec 11.