Relationship between low back pain and screen time among schoolchildren

Abstract

Background: Low back pain in childhood and adolescence is considered a predictor of low back pain in adulthood. Sedentary lifestyle is associated with low back pain. This study evaluated the relationship between low back pain and screen time in adolescents 10 to 15 years.

Methods: Cross-sectional study involving schoolchildren 10 and 15 years from school centers of the urban area in Talavera de la Reina. Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between low back pain and time spent watching. A logistic regression adjusted for confounding variables was performed and represented by the Odds Ratio. Statistical significance was considered for p<0.05.

Results: A total of 1,278 surveys were completed. 31% of schoolchildren reported low back pain in the last 3 months. Statistically significant differences were observed between low back pain with respect to sex and sleep time. Moreover, differences were noticed in the proportion of school-children who report low back pain during the week and use screens more than 2 hours compared to those who report using screens less than 2 hours. These differences were not observed on weekends.

Conclusions: Although adolescents spend more time in front of screens on weekends, the proportion of adolescents who report low back pain is higher during the week.