The primary objective was to investigate the association between students’ ergonomics practice and the presence of neck pain. The secondary objective was to investigate the correlation between ergonomics practice frequency and neck pain severity.
This study adhered to the Checklist for Reporting Of Survey Studies (CROSS) guidelines. Ethical approval was obtained from the Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) Research Ethics Committee. Convenience sampling was used to identify participants from the HKMU. Inclusion criteria were: 1) Enrolled in full-time undergraduate degree program; 2) Proficient in either Chinese or English; 3) Able to provide informed consent. Participants were excluded if: 1) Aged 35 or above; 2) With a history of neck trauma or surgery; 3) Part-time students or those enrolled in associate, higher diploma, or postgraduate degrees. A sample size of 98 was determined based on prior effect sizes, an alpha level of 0.05, and a power of 0.8. Eligible participants were invited to participate in an online survey. The survey was informed by existing evidence and refined internally and consisted of five sections (demographics, ergonomic practice, severity of neck pain, and disability ). Chi-square and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was conducted for the primary objective, while Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was conducted for the secondary objective. Effect size were calculated based on the significance level of the results.
A total of 345 responses were included. For the primary objective, frequency of good upright posture and correct lifting posture were negatively associated with presence of neck pain (p 0.05). The odds ratio for frequency of good posture was 0.66 (95% CI: 0.50–0.87), indicating a 34.4% reduction in neck pain odds per unit increase in posture frequency (p 0.001) (e.g. from never to sometimes). For the secondary objective, frequency of maintaining good upright posture and position of holding a smartphone were associated with more severe neck pain (p0.01). Students who never maintain good upright posture had higher odds of severe neck pain compared to those who always maintain good upright posture (OR = 8.62, p 0.05).
Our findings highlight a significant association between ergonomic practices and neck pain among undergraduate students in Hong Kong. Improving posture and smartphone ergonomics may reduce neck pain severity .
This study underscores the importance of ergonomic interventions in preventing neck pain. Future research should focus on effective strategies to promote sustainable ergonomic behaviors among students.
Ergonomics
Hong Kong
