Effects of lying posture and task type on muscle fatigue, visual fatigue, and discomfort while using a smartphone on...

Neck-shoulder and arm musculoskeletal disorders in smartphone use have attracted increasing attention.

This study aimed to examine the effect of different lying postures and task types by comparing the electrooculography (EOG) responses, perceived discomfort, and the activity of neck-shoulder and arm muscles while using a smartphone on the bed.

Twenty participants were recruited to perform 30-min tasks (texting/ watching video) while holding the smartphone in three different lying postures (half-lying/lying/side-lying). Subjective discomfort, muscular activities including the abductor pollicis brevis (APB), upper trapezius (UT), and extensor carpi radialis (ECR), and EOG signals were simultaneously monitored.

The results showed that the perceived discomfort of measured body parts increased significantly over time in all postures. Watching video significantly increases muscle activities of APB and UT and decreases blink frequency and blink duration. Compared to lying or half-lying, the side-lying posture has the highest blink frequency, blink duration, and muscle activities in ECR and UT.

The findings of this study indicate that side-lying posture should be avoided while using a smartphone on the bed. It provides an understanding of the association between the postures of using smartphones on the bed and fatigue, which can help prevent muscle and visual fatigue in smartphone use.