Evaluation of balance of among smartphone addicted users :- A cross sectional study

ABSTRACT

Smartphone use has become an essential part of modern life, especially among young adults. However, excessive smartphone usage may lead to smartphone addiction, which can negatively affect physical and psychological health. Prolonged smartphone use is associated with poor posture, reduced physical activity, muscle fatigue, and impaired neuromuscular coordination, all of which may influence balance and postural stability. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate balance among smartphone-addicted users.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 285 participants aged 18–35 years at the Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, CSJM University, Kanpur. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling. Smartphone addiction was assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), while balance performance was evaluated using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Star Excursion Test, and Push and Release Test. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and One-Way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis with a significance level set at p < 0.05.

The findings revealed that 34.4% of participants had mild smartphone addiction, 42.5% had moderate addiction, and 23.1% had severe addiction. Participants with severe smartphone addiction demonstrated poorer balance performance compared to those with mild addiction. Mean BBS scores progressively decreased from mild addiction (56.84 ± 1.92) to severe addiction (54.17 ± 3.44). One-Way ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference in balance performance among addiction groups (p = 0.001). A weak negative correlation was observed between smartphone addiction scores and balance performance (r = −0.173), indicating that higher smartphone addiction was associated with reduced balance ability.

The study concluded that excessive smartphone use negatively affects balance and postural stability among young adults. These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining healthy smartphone usage habits and promoting physical activity to prevent balance impairments and improve overall physical health.