Epidemiology and Society Health Review (ESHR)
Vol. 7 No. 2 (2025)

The Relationship Between Sitting Posture When Using Digital Devices and the Risk of Low Back Pain in Final Year Students

Sari, Novita (Unknown)
Nursiah N, Lili Eky (Unknown)
Kusumawardani, Eva Flourentina (Unknown)
Is, Jun Musnadi (Unknown)
Fera, Dian (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
13 Sep 2025

Abstract

Background: Low Back Pain (LBP) refers to discomfort in the lower back and is recognized as the leading cause of global disability, with 619 million cases reported in 2020. This number is expected to rise as students become increasingly dependent on digital devices due to technological advancements. Non-ergonomic sitting postures while using laptops or smartphones may increase spinal pressure and contribute to functional impairments. This study aims to examine the relationship between sitting posture when using digital devices and the risk of LBP among final-year Public Health students. Method: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted with 117 respondents selected through simple random sampling from a population of 168 students. Sitting posture was assessed using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method, and the risk of LBP was measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) questionnaire. Results: The results showed that most students adopted non-ergonomic sitting postures (60.7%), with the highest proportion experiencing moderate disability (41.9%). Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between sitting posture and LBP risk (P = 0.00). Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between sitting posture and the risk of LBP among students. Poor posture increases the likelihood of functional limitations due to back pain. It is recommended that students adopt ergonomic sitting habits and perform regular stretching to reduce LBP risk. These findings may serve as a reference for developing targeted health promotion and prevention strategies within the university setting.

Copyrights © 2025






Journal Info

Abbrev

eshr

Publisher

Subject

Public Health

Description

Epidemiology and Society Health Review (ESHR) is aims to communicate research in the field of epidemiology and community health by publishing papers in high-quality science. This journal publishes an article in the field of epidemiology of the communicable disease, epidemiology of non-communicable ...