earticle

영어

The study aims to determine the effects of smartphone use on the mus-cle activity of the lower extremity when walking. Twenty-three healthy young students were asked to perform a 10-m walk test between nor-mal walking without using a smartphone and walking while two-handed texting on a smartphone. The electromyography activities of the lower extremity were quantified. To quantitatively assess the cervical flexion range of smartphone users, the cervical flexion angle was measured using a digital goniometer. The study results indicated that the use of a smartphone while walking could lessen muscle activity on the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, rectus femoris, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius than that of normal walking without using a smartphone. The walking speeds were reduced in walking while using a smartphone compared with normal walking without using a smartphone. The cervi-cal flexion angle was greater when walking while using a smartphone compared to that of normal walking without using a smartphone. These results suggest that frequently using a smartphone while walking could be a potential risk for musculoskeletal problems.