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. 2023 Apr 7:41:e2021342.
doi: 10.1590/1984-0462/2023/41/2021342. eCollection 2023.

Screen time and low back pain in children and adolescents: a systematic review of Brazilian studies

Paulo Henrique Guerra  1 , Raquel Martelo  1 , Maieli Naiara da Silva  1 , Giovana Frazon de Andrade  2 , Diego Giulliano Destro Christofaro  3 , Mathias Roberto Loch  4
Affiliations

Screen time and low back pain in children and adolescents: a systematic review of Brazilian studies

Paulo Henrique Guerra et al. Rev Paul Pediatr. .

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Objective: To identify and summarize the possible associations between screen time and low back pain in children and adolescents.

Data source: Systematic searches were performed in five electronic databases (Lilacs, Scielo, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science) on 01/25/2021, complemented by manual searches in reference lists and on Google Scholar, looking for original scientific articles that included Brazilian observational studies; whose samples had children and/or adolescents aged between 6 and 19 years, without specific clinical conditions, and that presented analyses of associations between indicators of screen time and nonspecific low back pain, based on regression models.

Data synthesis: Nine cross-sectional studies whose samples had adolescents were included. Of the 18 analyses identified, nine reported risk relationships between the variables of interest. More specifically, risk associations were found in two studies that evaluated adolescents exposed to at least three hours using cell phone or tablet, and watching television per day. Also, instruments, cut-off points adopted, and screen equipment evaluated were diverse.

Conclusions: Even though most of the risk associations were borderline from the statistical point of view, we found a higher frequency of risk associations between screen time and non-specific low back pain in adolescents exposed to screen time for at least three hours a day. In addition, further longitudinal studies with samples composed of children should be conducted across the country.

Objetivo:: Identificar e sumarizar os dados sobre as possíveis associações entre o tempo de tela e a dor lombar em crianças e adolescentes.

Fontes de dados:: Buscas sistemáticas em cinco bases de dados eletrônicas (Lilacs, Scielo, Scopus, Pubmed e Web of Science), no dia 25/01/2021, complementadas por buscas manuais em listas de referências e no site Google Acadêmico, procurando por artigos científicos originais que comunicaram estudos observacionais brasileiros que envolveram amostras de crianças e/ou adolescentes entre 6 e 19 anos de idade, sem condições clínicas específicas e que apresentassem análises de associações entre indicadores do tempo de tela e dor lombar não específica, baseadas em modelos de regressão.

Síntese dos dados:: Nove estudos transversais foram incluídos, envolvendo amostras de adolescentes. Das 18 análises identificadas, 9 mostraram relações de risco entre as variáveis de interesse. Mais especificamente, verificaram-se associações de risco em dois estudos que avaliaram adolescentes expostos a, pelo menos, três horas diárias de celular, tablete e televisão. Também se observou diversidade entre instrumentos, pontos de corte adotados e equipamentos de tela avaliados.

Conclusões:: Mesmo que a maior parte das associações de risco tenha sido limítrofe, do ponto de vista estatístico, a presente síntese apresentou maior frequência de associações de risco entre o tempo de tela e a dor lombar não específica em adolescentes expostos ao tempo de tela por, pelo menos, três horas diárias. Complementarmente, recomenda-se que sejam conduzidos no país estudos longitudinais, com o envolvimento de crianças nas amostras.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Flowchart of the systematic review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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