Potential Role of Smartphone Addiction on Sleep Quality and Perceived Neck Pain Among Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students: A Multicentered Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the possible associations between smartphone addiction, perceived neck pain, and sleep quality among undergraduate physiotherapy students. Material and methods: Students were asked to fill out the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), the Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire (NBQ), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) on the Google Forms platform, accessed online via a QR code. Results: 355 physiotherapy students were included in this study. Considering the threshold value of 5 in PSQI which is accepted as an indicator of poor sleep, 285 out of 355 students (80.3%) showed higher scores (mean:9.73±2.68) than this threshold. A structural equation model showed that the NBQ had a significant effect on the SAS (B= .223; p=.031), and the SAS, in turn, had a significant effect on the PSQI (B=.021; p=.003). It was shown that 7% of the association between the NBQ and the PSQI was explained by the SAS acting as a mediator. Discussion: Smartphone addiction should be considered to prevent future potential musculoskeletal complaints as well as to preserve and improve the academic performance of students from the perspectives of the associations between sleep quality and perceived neck pain.