Study design: A cross-sectional survey by anonymous self-assessment questionnaire was given to 3600 high school students from 30 high schools.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of neck and shoulder pain (NSP) and its effects among high school students in Shanghai, China.
Summary of background data: NSP has become a problem in many countries in recent years among adolescents. No recent studies have estimated the prevalence of NSP in Chinese school populations.
Methods: A total of 3600 high school students from all 3 grades chosen from 30 random schools participated in this study. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire on NSP and to provide information on demographic items, family factors, schooling, and lifestyles. χ tests were used to compare the incidence of NSP, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to obtain influencing factors of NSP.
Results: In total, 3600 questionnaires were distributed, and 2842 were valid. The cross-sectional prevalence of NSP was 41.1%, with more girls (653 of 1478, i.e., 44.2%) reporting having NSP than boys (514 of 1364, i.e., 37.7%) (odds ratio = 0.764; 95% confidence interval = 0.657-0.888; P < 0.05). The frequency, duration, and degree of NSP in girls were also higher than in boys. For high school years 1, 2, and 3, the incidence of NSP was 40.1%, 40.7%, and 45.4%, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression indicated that sex, family history of NSP, school furniture, long sitting time, computer use, insufficient rest time, sleep time, commuting method, perceived schoolbag weight, and smoking had a significant effect on NSP.
Conclusion: The incidence of NSP in high school students in Shanghai is quite high. The occurrence of NSP is related to several factors including sex and school year, as well as some factors related to family, schooling, and lifestyles.
Level of evidence: 3.