The increased use of smartphones, tablets, television, computer games, and educational apps has led to children and teenagers spending more time looking at screens. This prolonged screen time, often with poor posture, can result in back pain and other related health problems, as identified in a study conducted by Brazilian researchers and reported in the scientific journal Healthcare.
In an article published in the scientific journal Healthcare, Brazilian researchers funded by FAPESP identified various risk factors that affect spinal health, including looking at screens for more than three hours a day, having the eyes too close to the screen, and sitting or lying on the stomach.
The target of the research was to examine thoracic spine pain (TSP), which occurs in the thoracic spine, the section between the shoulder blades at the back of the chest that extends from the bottom of the neck to the beginning of the lumbar spine. The data analyzed in the study was collected through surveys administered to male and female high school students aged 14-18 in Bauru, a medium-sized city in Sao Paulo state.
In March-June 2017, 1,628 male and female students in the first and second years of high school in Bauru completed a baseline questionnaire, with 1,393 participants completing a follow-up questionnaire in 2018. The analysis revealed a one-year prevalence of 38.4 percent (those reporting TSP in both surveys) and a one-year incidence of 10.1 percent (new TSP reported only in the follow-up survey). TSP was more frequently reported by girls than boys.
Risk Factors
TSP is a common issue worldwide, affecting different age groups with prevalence rates ranging from 15 to 35 percent in adults and 13 to 35 percent in children and adolescents. The problem has been exacerbated by the explosive growth in the use of electronic devices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several investigations have identified physical, physiological, psychological, and behavioral risk factors associated with TSP. Additionally, there is strong evidence linking physical activity, sedentary habits, and mental disorders to spinal health, all of which the World Health Organization (WHO) considers critical in its latest global review of evidence and guidelines.
According to Alberto de Vitta, the first author of the article, the findings of the study can be utilized to design health education programs for school students, teachers, staff, and parents. Alberto de Vitta holds a PhD in education from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and has completed a postdoctoral fellowship in public health at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP) in Botucatu.
According to Vitta, who currently teaches and researches at Eduvale College and the University of Sapucai Valley, promoting health education and identifying risks to individual and collective health are objectives outlined in the Brazilian government’s National Curriculum Parameters (PCN) for secondary schools. Therefore, providing information on risk factors for TSP among high school students is important. The article highlights that children and adolescents experiencing back pain are more likely to be inactive, struggle academically, and have psychosocial issues. Furthermore, there are fewer studies on TSP compared to lower back and neck pain, and a systematic review of literature found only two prospective studies on prognostic factors for TSP.
