Background:Musculoskeletal disorders are known as injuries and diseases of soft tissues, including muscles, which have become one of the main public health problems worldwide. Adolescents who play electronic games are at risk of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders due to long hours of gaming. This study aimed to compare upper kinetic chain postural abnormalities and their relationship with gaming hours in adolescents, gamers and non-gamers.

Methods:his cross-sectional comparative study was conducted on 38 adolescents(19 gamers and 19 non-gamers). Craniovertebral angle, acromial distance, pectoralis minor index, scapular index, and pain intensity were measured. Analysis of covariance with age control was used to compare groups, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between gaming hours and postural indices.

Findings:The results of the analysis of covariance showed that the difference between the gamer and non-gamer groups in all postural indices was statistically significant(P<0.001). This level of significance confirms that the group variable can affect upper kinetic chain abnormalities. Pearson correlation analysis showed that although there was no significant linear relationship between daily gaming hours and postural indices, internal correlations were observed between biomechanical indices.

Conclusion:Adolescent gamers are at risk of developing postural abnormalities such as forward head and rotated shoulders, as well as upper limb pain. These biomechanical changes can be caused by long-term positions during gaming, which manifest as a chain of structural disorders. Therefore, implementing corrective interventions and ergonomic strategies to prevent these structural changes from transforming into chronic pain in this age group is essential.