Prevalence of Tech Neck in Adults-A Survey - Abstract
Introduction: The widespread use of devices like mobile phones, laptops, and tablets has surged, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic shifted classes and meetings online. When people tilt their heads forward to look at these screens, the neck muscles bear increasing loads. At a 15-degree tilt, it’s around 12kg of force, rising to 27 kg at a 60-degree tilt [1]. This is because the muscles have to work harder to support the shifting center of gravity, leading to neck pain. Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the pain and deformity in neck between two age groups, Young Adults (aged 17-30) and Adults (aged 31-59). Procedure: 80 participants were randomly chosen and categorized into two groups based on their age. They were administered a self-completion questionnaire, specifically the Neck Disability Index, followed by an evaluation of their posture using the Ruler Method. Subsequently, their Cervical Muscle Strength was measured using Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) and graded according to the Oxford grading system. Results and Discussion: The research conducted statistical analysis using an unpaired ’t’ test. The study findings indicate that Group B experiences a higher prevalence of Forward Head Posture (67.5%, mean score 2.53) compared to Group A, where the impact is lower (25%, mean score 2.19). Moreover, the Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores were higher in Group B than in Group A, while the Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) grades for cervical muscles were quite similar between the two groups, with Group A scoring 4.33 and Group B scoring 4.3, albeit with a slight strength difference in favor of Group A.