Association of Screen Time and Headache and Its Impact on ADLs in Freelancers

Screen Time and Headache and Its Impact on ADLs

Authors

  • Sameen Arshad Department of Physiotherapy, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan
  • Saba Hashmi Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Tausif King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan
  • Akash Zameer Azad Jammu and Kashmir Medical College, Jammu Kashmir, Pakistan
  • Rafay Shahab Ansari Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Noman Qayyum Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pbmj.v8i4.1234

Keywords:

Cervicogenic Headache, Impairments, Pain Intensity, Migraine

Abstract

Freelancers are especially vulnerable to Cervicogenic headaches and migraines as a result of prolonged screen time because of inadequate cervical neck curvature and over-illumination. Persistent migraine and Cervicogenic headaches can have a significant impact on a person’s activities of daily life. Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between screen time and headaches and their effects on activities of daily living. Methods: The data of 200 freelancers were collected within 3 months of age 18-45, and descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were done to explore the associations between screen time, headaches, and activities of daily living.  Results: The mean age of participants was 25, with 77% of freelancers having Cervicogenic headaches and 23% Migraine, among which 25.5% had mild pain, 49.5% had moderate pain, and 25% had severe headaches. The HALDI score of 60.77% showed that freelancers had severe impairments in activities of daily living caused by migraine or Cervicogenic headaches. A p-value of 0.00 showed that screen time was significantly associated with headaches, and a p-value of 0.017 revealed a significant impact of headaches on freelancers' activities in daily life. Conclusions: It was concluded that screen time is significantly associated with headaches, and freelancers suffering from migraine or Cervicogenic headaches can have a severe impact on activities in daily life.

References

Blaising A, Kotturi Y, Kulkarni C, Dabbish L. Making it work, or not: A longitudinal study of career trajectories among online freelancers. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction. 2021 Jan; 4(CSCW3): 1-29. doi: 10.1145/3432925.

Arifianto C, Vallentino M. A Study and Review of Freelancer Value Proposition. Journal of Research in Business, Economics, and Education. 2022 May; 4(1): 50-62.

Abou Hashish EA, Baatiah NY, Bashaweeh AH, Kattan AM. The Online Learning Experience and Reported Headaches Associated with Screen Exposure Time Among Saudi Health Sciences Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic. BioMed Central Medical Education. 2022 Apr; 22(1): 226. doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03235-8.

Afzal F, Atif MM, Kumar A, Rasul A, Islam A, Nadeem I. Cervicogenic Headache and Neck Pain among Computer Users. Rawal Medical Journal. 2020 Apr; 45(2): 370-2.

Montagni I, Guichard E, Carpenet C, Tzourio C, Kurth T. Screen Time Exposure and Reporting of Headaches in Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study. Cephalalgia. 2016 Oct; 36(11): 1020-7. doi: 10.1177/0333102415620286.

Lipton RB, Lee L, Saikali NP, Bell J, Cohen JM. Effect of Headache-Free Days on Disability, Productivity, Quality of Life, and Costs Among Individuals with Migraine. Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy. 2020 Oct; 26(10): 1344-52. doi: 10.18553/jmcp.2020.20103.

Lund J, Berring-Uldum A, Colak M, Debes NM. Headache in Children and Adolescents: The Association Between Screen Time and Headache within a Clinical Headache Population. Neuropediatric. 2022 Aug; 53(04): 221-6. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1740550.

Syahputri VN, Rahma EA, Setiyana R, Diana S, Parlindungan F. Online Learning Drawbacks During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Psychological Perspective. English Journal of Merdeka: Culture, Language, and Teaching of English. 2020 Dec; 5(2): 108-16. doi: 10.26905/enjourme.v5i2.5005.

Choudhary MB, Choudary AB, Jamal S, Kumar R, Jamal S. The Impact of Ergonomics on Children Studying Online During COVID-19 Lockdown. Journal of Advances in Sports and Physical Education. 2020; 3(8): 117-20. doi: 10.36348/jaspe.2020.v03i08.001.

Sakai F, Hirata K, Igarashi H, Takeshima T, Nakayama T, Sano H et al. A Study to Investigate the Prevalence of Headache Disorders and Migraine among People Registered in a Health Insurance Association in Japan. The Journal of Headache and Pain. 2022 Dec; 23(1): 70. doi: 10.1186/s10194-022-01439-3.

Im HJ, Hong YH, Cho SJ. Neck Pain Disability on Headache Impact and the Association Between Sleep Disturbance and Neck Pain in Migraine. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2023 Jun; 12(12): 3989. doi: 10.3390/jcm12123989.

Xu Y, Gao Y, Jiang L, Wu L, Yin J, Yang Z et al. Global Trends In Research on Cervicogenic Headache: A Bibliometric Analysis. Frontiers in Neurology. 2023 Apr 20; 14: 1169477. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1169477.

Rosignoli C, Ornello R, Onofri A, Caponnetto V, Grazzi L, Raggi A et al. Applying a Biopsychosocial Model to Migraine: Rationale and Clinical Implications. The Journal of Headache and Pain. 2022 Dec; 23(1): 100. doi: 10.1186/s10194-022-01471-3.

Cokyaman T and Ozcan Erdem U. Use of ICHD-3rd Diagnostic Criteria in Determining the Prevalence of Migraine in Childhood; School-Based Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study. Neurological Research. 2024 Dec; 46(12): 1130-6. doi: 10.1080/01616412.2024.2403860.

Antonaci F, Ghirmai S, Bono G, Sandrini G, Nappi G. Cervicogenic Headache: Evaluation of the Original Diagnostic Criteria. Cephalalgia. 2001 Jun; 21(5): 573-83. doi: 10.1046/j.0333-1024.2001.00207.x.

Anarte-Lazo E, Carvalho GF, Schwarz A, Luedtke K, Falla D. Differentiating Migraine, Cervicogenic Headache and Asymptomatic Individuals Based on Physical Examination Findings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. BioMed Central Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2021 Dec; 22: 1-8. doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04595-w.

Vernon H and Lawson G. Development of the Headache Activities of Daily Living Index: Initial Validity Study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2015 Feb; 38(2): 102-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2014.12.002.

Roy S, Iktidar MA, Chowdhury S, Pulock OS, Pinky SD, Sharif AB. Increased Screen Time and Its Association to Migraine and Tension-Type Headache: A Cross-Sectional Investigation among Bangladeshi Students. British Medical Journal Neurology Open. 2024 May; 6(1): e000656. doi: 10.1136/bmjno-2024-000656.

Ambah T, Abidoye FE, McCalla CA, Kalejaiye M, Ihunda IC, Onwua-maegbu et al. Digital Age Headaches: Exploring the Neurological Impact of Screen Time and Blue Light. International Journal of Clinical and Medical Case Reports. 2025; 49 (3). doi: 10.46998/IJCMCR.2025.49.001212.

Ligthart L, Gerrits MM, Boomsma DI, Penninx BW. Anxiety and Depression Are Associated with Migraine and Pain in General: An Investigation of the Interrelationships. The Journal of Pain. 2013 Apr; 14(4): 363-70. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2012.12.006.

Awaki E, Takeshima T, Matsumori Y, Hirata K, Miyazaki N, Takemura R et al. Impact of Migraine on Daily Life: Results of the Observational Survey of the Epidemiology, Treatment, and Care of Migraine (OVERCOME [Japan]) study. Neurology and Therapy. 2024 Feb; 13(1): 165-82. doi: 10.1007/s40120-023-00569-3.

Downloads

Published

2025-04-30
CITATION
DOI: 10.54393/pbmj.v8i4.1234
Published: 2025-04-30

How to Cite

Arshad, S., Hashmi, S., Tausif, M., Zameer, A., Ansari, R. S., & Qayyum, N. (2025). Association of Screen Time and Headache and Its Impact on ADLs in Freelancers: Screen Time and Headache and Its Impact on ADLs . Pakistan BioMedical Journal, 8(4), 35–40. https://doi.org/10.54393/pbmj.v8i4.1234

Issue

Section

Original Article

Plaudit

Most read articles by the same author(s)