Spinal health of adolescents on the decline due to overusing electronic gadgets

The findings from the longitudinal study concluded that the problem affects girls more than boys and is associated with physical inactivity and low academic achievement. — AFP

Thanks to the popularisation of smartphones and tablets, and the multiplication of video channels, computer games and educational apps, children and adolescents are spending more and more time looking at screens, usually with bad posture, which can cause back pain, among other problems.

A study by Brazilian researchers, funded by FAPESP and published in the scientific journal Healthcare, identified several risk factors for spinal health, such as looking at screens for more than three hours a day, proximity of the eyes to the screen, and sitting or lying on the stomach.