Young people's computer use: implications for health education

Increasing numbers of young people use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for education, work and leisure activities. Research on ICT and Upper Limb Disorders (ULDs) in adults has shown that functional impairment, pain and discomfort in the upper limbs, neck and shoulder increases with frequency and duration of exposure to computer use. This paper reports secondary analyses of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: WHO Collaborative Cross-National Study (HBSC). Data from 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds living in Scotland have been used to illustrate that extended periods of time spent computing are associated with neck shoulder pain and headache. This is a topic which warrants a place on the Health Education agenda.