CORRELATION BETWEEN ALEXITHYMIA AND NECK PAIN IN SMARTPHONE ADDICTED USERS OF PARAMEDICAL STUDENTS FROM SOUTH GUJARAT - A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Amit Patel; ANKITA H YADAV

Abstract

Introduction : In the contemporary age, the widespread utilization of smartphones has resulted in various musculoskeletal discomforts, with neck pain being a prevalent issue. The excessive use of smartphones can contribute to Smartphone Addiction (SA), and this condition is associated with Alexithymia in the southern Gujarat region.Method : Students aged between 17 and 27 years were selected from various colleges in South Gujarat using a convenient sampling method. The prevalence of Alexithymia was determined among 457 participants, and 117 subjects meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Smartphone addiction levels were assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version (SAS-SV), while Alexithymia was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), and neck disability was evaluated using the Neck Disability Index (NDI).Result : The research revealed that 52% of participants exhibited Alexithymia, while 59% showed Smartphone Addiction (SA). The Spearman correlation analysis indicated a moderate positive correlation between SAS-SV and TAS (r=0.63, p>0.05), as well as between SAS-SV and NDI (r=0.52, p>0.05). However, there was no statistically significant correlation observed between the variables (r >0.05).Conclusion : The research findings suggest that individuals addicted to smartphones in this age group exhibit notable characteristics of alexithymia, along with neck pain and disability resulting from excessive smartphone usage

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