Digital device use and primary headache in college students in the pandemic context

Abstract

Introduction: The increased use of devices during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is noteworthy. The democratization of technological products caused a significant increase an its use by the population across the globe. This has caused a consistent increase in the appearance of some diseases among users of those devices. Thus, a concern arises about the student context and its high workload online during the pandemic. Objective: Analyze the association between the use of digital devices and the incidence of headache among students during the pandemic. Design and setting: A literature review was conducted on the topic. Methods: We included 15 original articles in English and Portuguese from MEDLINE, Pubmed, and Google Academic databases, selected from 2011 to 2021. Results: In cross-sectional studies, reports of headache were higher in individuals who use digital devices frequently compared to those who do not use them, and migraine attacks with aura and use of analgesics were more recurrent in the first group. Several causal mechanisms between headache and the use of digital devices have already been proposed, such as exposure to electromagnetic fields, neck posture, stress and sleep alterations without, however, having any evidence. Conclusion: We conclude that the excessive use of electronic devices can increase the incidence and duration of headache. However, the literature on the subject is still limited. Therefore, there is an urgent need for research that controls exposure to digital devices in order to analyze the causal relationship between electronic devices and headache.