Affiliations: [a] Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| [b] Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Prathap Suganthirababu, Professor, Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai Tamilnadu, India. E-mails: prathap.scpt@saveetha.com, prathap@gmail.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Smartphones are a technical marvel that rapidly evolved to play an important role in our lives. One downside to smartphone use is that it significantly worsens posture. It is believed that using a smartphone while walking increases the risk of cognitive decline and the loss of dynamic balance needed to perform functional tasks. OBJECTIVE:The objective of the study was to determine the impact of smartphone usage on dynamic postural control among South Indian college students. METHODS:The study was carried out in a private college with 400 invited students through online social media platforms. The four-square step test and SAS-SV were used to determine the impact of smartphone usage on dynamic postural control. The students were informed about the study process. A total of 250 participants were included based on the inclusion criteria. RESULTS:There was a high percentage of agreement on smartphone usage on dynamic postural control measured with SAS-SV, revealing statistical significance with a mean value of 41.532 and SD of 10.010886. The four-square step test with a mean value of 22.5 and SD of 1.8995878 also proved significant impact. A positive correlation was found between smartphone usage and dynamic postural control, which was analysed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.90130. CONCLUSION:A significant correlation was noted between mobile usage and dynamic balance. Smartphones can have a negative impact on dynamic balance by distracting users from their surroundings and increase the risk of falls.
