Publication:

Text neck syndrome and early cervical spondylosis among young Sudanese adults: a cross-sectional study of digital device use, postural habits and neurological symptoms

Background Text neck syndrome and early cervical spondylosis are increasingly prevalent among young adults due to prolonged electronic device usage and inadequate postural practices. This study examined the burden of text neck syndrome and its association with digital device use, posture, and neurological symptoms among young Sudanese people.

Methods A descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted at the Neurology Clinic of Prince Digna Referral Hospital, Sudan, between November 2024 and January 2025. A total of 174 participants aged 17–63 years were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and clinical assessment. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.

Results The median age of participants was 34 years (IQR: 28-42 years), and 50.6% were females. Prolonged screen exposure exceeding 6 hours/day was reported by 69.5%, while 96.6% adopted forward head posture during device use. Neck pain and neck stiffness were reported by 99.4% and 97.1% of participants, respectively. Neurological symptoms included upper-limb numbness (43.7%) and weakness (24.1%). Daily screen time demonstrated a weak positive correlation with neck pain severity (rs=0.23, p=0.002). Prolonged screen exposure independently predicted severe cervical symptoms (AOR=4.21, 95% CI: 2.01-8.83, p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated good predictive performance for screen exposure duration (AUC=0.81).

Conclusions Text neck syndrome symptoms and manifestations suggestive of early cervical spondylosis represent a substantial clinical burden among Sudanese adults and are associated with prolonged screen exposure, forward head posture, and poor ergonomic awareness.