Effect of Smartphone Addiction on Dynamic Balance Control among Physical Therapy Students

Background: Smartphone addiction has increased excessively among university students. Musculoskeletal disorders, faulty posture and disturbance of postural control were linked to smartphone use. Aim of Study: The aim of this study was to identify the effect of smartphone addiction on dynamic balance control among physical therapy (PT) students. Material and Methods: Forty healthy PT students were assigned into two equal groups (group A: Non-smartphone addicted, group B: Smartphone-addicted) based on their score from the Arabic version of smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV). All students were assessed for dynamic balance by using the Biodex balance system (BBS). The overall stability index (OSI), medial-lateral stability index (MLSI) and anterior-posterior stability index (APSI) were measured by the device. Results: There were a significant increase in all dynamic balance indices ( p =0.001) of the smartphone addicted group compared to that of the non-smartphone addicted group. Conclusion: Smartphone addiction can cause disturbance of dynamic balance control among PT students.