Musculoskeletal complaints and associated factors in school children aged between 6 and 13 years in Istanbul during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Following the first COVID-19 cases in Turkey, face-to-face education was ceased after March 16, 2020 until the end of the educational year (i.e. June 19, 2020) and education was substituted remotely due to confinement. Objective: This study aims to investigate the frequency of musculoskeletal complaints in school-age children and associated risk factors including reduced physical activity, increased screen time and poor ergonomics conditions in school-age children during the pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study included parents or guardians of 960 students aged between 6-13 years old with a non-randomized sampling. A survey was administered consisting of 65 items related with sociodemographic characteristics of the children and family, online education hours, technological device(s) used, screen time, type of physical activity, presence of musculoskeletal problems and poor ergonomics conditions such as incorrect sitting posture. Results: Logistic regression results demonstrated that age, excess weight gain, total daily screen time, smartphone use, incorrect sitting posture were associated with musculoskeletal complaints. Conclusion: The long-term closure of schools due to the pandemic may have led to an increase in musculoskeletal complaints in 6-13 years old children, based on the factors identified in this study, which were excess weight gain, increased screen time and incorrect sitting posture. These findings might help education and health authorities to develop strategies to improve musculoskeletal health of children especially in emergencies such as the pandemic.