Defining text neck: a scoping review.

Area of Science:

• Ergonomics and Occupational Health
• Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Digital Health

Background:

• Text neck is recognized as a widespread global health concern.
• A significant challenge exists due to the lack of a standardized definition for text neck.
• This ambiguity impacts both research and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and analyze the definitions of text neck presented in peer-reviewed scientific literature.
• To identify common themes and variations in how text neck is defined across studies.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review was conducted, searching major databases (Embase, Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science).
• The search included articles using terms "text neck" or "tech neck" up to April 2022.
• Data extraction focused on study characteristics and the specific definitions of text neck employed, adhering to PRISMAScR guidelines.

Main Results:

• Forty-one articles were included in the review.
• Posture was the most frequently cited defining characteristic (92.7%), often described as incorrect (56.1%).
• Other common components included overuse (63.4%), mechanical stress (41.4%), musculoskeletal symptoms (36.6%), and tissue damage (17.1%).

Conclusions:

• Posture is the primary element in academic definitions of text neck, often associated with smartphone use in a flexed neck position.
• Currently, there is no robust scientific evidence establishing a direct link between text neck and neck pain, irrespective of the definition used.
• The use of subjective adjectives like "inappropriate" or "incorrect" to describe posture in text neck definitions is not supported by current evidence and should be reconsidered for research purposes.