Head tilt angle when using smartphone while walking

Abstract

Prolonged or frequent looking down posture when using a smartphone in mobile has been assumed as a risk factor for neck musculoskeletal problems. However, existing knowledge on the severity of the head tilt posture when using the smartphone while walking is quite limited. An experiment was conducted to know how much users would tilt the head forward when using their smartphones while walking. Twenty-eight healthy young smartphone users participated, and they walked along a 60-meter straight track while conducting one-hand web-browsing and two-hands texting tasks using their smartphones. The amount of head tilt was quantified using an inertial measurement unit sensor, which was attached to the forehead. Participants maintained a forward tilt posture at 31.1° (median angle) from vertical when web-browsing and 38.5° (median angle) when reading and sending text messages, with significantly greater (p<0.05) tilt from the texting task. Results of this study confirm the association between smartphone use while walking and risks for neck musculoskeletal problems.