Screen-based activities and physical complaints among adolescents from the Nordic countries
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: A positive association between time spent on sedentary screen-based activities and physical complaints has been reported, but the cumulative association between different types of screen-based activities and physical complaints has not been examined thoroughly. METHODS: The cross-sectional association between screen-based activity and physical complaints (backache and headache) among students was examined in a sample of 31022 adolescents from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Greenland, as part of the Health behaviour in school-aged children 2005/06 (HBSC) study. Daily hours spent on screen-based activities and levels of physical complaints were assessed using self-reports. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis indicated that computer use, computer gaming and TV viewing contributed uniquely to prediction of weekly backache and headache. The magnitude of associations was consistent across types of screen based activities, and across gender. CONCLUSION: The observed associations indicate that time spent on screen-based activity is a contributing factor to physical complaints among young people, and that effects accumulate across different types of screen-based activities.
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Prior cross-sectional studies have mostly found a positive association between screen time and somatic symptoms in children, adolescents, and young adults.
“Prior cross-sectional studies have examined the relationship between screen time and somatic symptoms in children, adolescents, and young adults [60–66], with the majority finding a positive association between screen time and somatic symptoms.”
From Screen time and mental health: a prospective analysis of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (2024) · cites this paper as [66]
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- Authors
- Torsheim, T., Eriksson, L., Schnohr, C. W., Hansen, F., Bjarnason, T., & Välimaa, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Bergen (NO)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- University of Jyväskylä (FI)
- Corresponding author
- Torsheim, Torbjørn
- Venue
- BMC Public Health
- Published
- 2010-06-09
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 324-324
- ISSN
- 1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2904715
- OpenAlex
- W2110308312
- Cited by
- 165
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 7.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Jyväskylä University Digital Archive (University of Jyväskylä) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Jonkoping University Library (Jönköping University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Opin vísindi (Opin vísindi) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Keywords
- screen-based activities, sedentary behavior, physical complaints, back pain, headache, adolescents, computer use, computer gaming, television viewing, cumulative effects, gender differences, Nordic countries
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Back Pain, Computers, Cross-Sectional Studies, Europe, Female, Headache, Humans, Male, Television, Logistic Models, Video Games, Internet, Social Media
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