Analysis of musculoskeletal injuries among adult Internet gaming players: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background. I nternet g aming ( IG) l eads t o s ocial d isturbances, b ehavioral d isorders, and physical impairments. The cross-sectional study focused on back pain experienced by IG players and investigated the relationships between pain complaints and the factors potentially predicting. Material and methods. The survey was conducted online and a total of 1,104 IG players were recruited for the study. Disability assessment was performed using The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Results. The majority of the respondents (72.1%) reported they experienced back pain. Assessment of pain showed significant differences (p<0.0001) with greater pain levels in the lumbar spine. The findings also show significant differences (p<0.001) in disability level between respondents who reported they did and did not get regular sleep at night. Significant differences (p<0.001) were also shown in the disability levels between the respondents engaging in sports or exercise and those who did not do any sport or exercise. Conclusions. The prevalence of back pain complaints in IG players was high. Higher disability levels were observed in older gamers, individuals with lumbar spine pain, and those who did not get regular sleep at night, or do any sport or exercise. Future prospective longitudinal studies investigating the cause-and-effect nature of the findings are necessary.