Objective To estimate the prevalence of chronic neck pain (CNP) among the adult population in Peru during the post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restriction period compared with that during the pre-pandemic period and evaluate its association with prolonged digital devices connected to the internet (DDCI) screen viewing.
Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using a representative sample of adults living in Peru in November 2022. A structured survey was employed to identify CNP, and the exposure variable was set as the duration of DDCI screen viewing. The McNemar test was used to compare CNP prevalence pre- and post-COVID-19 restrictions, and ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate its association with prolonged screen viewing.
Results A total of 1,202 individuals participated, with 52.8% females and 79.9% residing in urban areas. Following the restrictions, the prevalence of CNP occurring daily or almost daily and at least once a week was 14.8% and 27.8%, respectively (95% confidence Interval [95% CI], 12.6–17.3 and 24.9–30.9), representing a significant increase (p<0.001) compared with pre-pandemic estimates. Notably, among those viewing DDCI screens for ≥8 hours, the odds ratio for CNP frequency escalation compared with those who did not or rarely view screens was 1.61 (95% CI, 1.04–2.50; p=0.033).
Conclusion Approximately 4 of 10 adults in Peru experienced CNP following the lifting of COVID-19 social restrictions, more than double the pre-pandemic prevalence. Furthermore, prolonged viewing of DDCI screens increased the risk of having this condition.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
The impact of algorithm-driven exposure to disease-related short videos on rehabilitation outcomes in lumbar disc herniation patients: content heterogeneity and psychological mediating mechanisms Yiping Tong, Yang Li, Chenxi Liu, Xiang Chen, Linbo Xing, Zhiyuan Cao, Yanlei Wang Frontiers in Digital Health.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Screen time and chronic neck pain in Peru: A comparative population-based cross-sectional study in the COVID-19 post-pandemic period Tomas Nakazato, Franco Romani-Romani, César Gutiérrez, Armaan Jamal PLOS One.2026; 21(3): e0344257. CrossRef
First
Prev
