Problematic smartphone use as a modifiable factor in cervicogenic headache: Effects on pain,function,mood,and sleep

Abstract

Objective

To examine whether problematic smartphone use is associated with pain intensity, functional disability, emotional distress, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life in individuals with cervicogenic headache compared with healthy adults.

Design

Case–control study.

Setting

Outpatient clinics of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Neurology at a university hospital.

Participants

A total of 158 adults, including 78 individuals diagnosed with cervicogenic headache and 80 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Main measures

Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form, Headache Impact Test-6, Neck Disability Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Jenkins Sleep Scale, and Short Form-12 Health Survey.

Results

Individuals with cervicogenic headache reported significantly higher levels of smartphone-related behavioural problems, headache impact, neck-related disability, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbance than healthy controls (all p < 0.05). Physical and mental health-related quality of life scores were significantly lower in the cervicogenic headache group. Problematic smartphone use was positively associated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.224) and poor sleep quality (r = 0.369), and negatively associated with mental health-related quality of life (r = −0.277). Neck-related disability (β = 0.327) and mental health-related quality of life (β = 0.551) were independent predictors of problematic smartphone use, explaining 31% of the variance.

Conclusions

Problematic smartphone use is associated with greater symptom burden, emotional distress, sleep problems, and reduced quality of life in individuals with cervicogenic headache. Smartphone-related behavioural patterns may represent a modifiable factor to be considered within comprehensive rehabilitation and lifestyle-based management strategies.