ASSESSING THE LINK BETWEEN SMARTPHONE OVERUSE, HAND STRENGTH AND ERGONOMICS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

The motivation behind this study stems from the rapid increase in smartphone usage among
university students and the growing concern regarding its potential impact on musculoskeletal
health. While smartphone overuse has been widely discussed, there remains a relative lack of
integrated research examining its association with hand strength and ergonomic practices within
this population. Our study aims to address this gap by providing empirical evidence on how
excessive smartphone use may influence hand grip strength and ergonomic behaviours. We
believe that our findings contribute meaningful insights to the fields of public health,
physiotherapy, and ergonomics, and may help inform preventive strategies and awareness
programs for young adults.