Effects of Mobile Phone Use on Gait and Balance Control in Young Adults: A Hip-Ankle Strategy.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	Lu, Zijun Zhang, Xinxin Mao, Chuangui Liu, Tao Li, Xinglu Zhu, Wenfei Wang, Chao Sun, Yuliang
Editor	Pau, Massimiliano
Copyright Year	2023
Abstract	Background: This study aimed to derive the effects of walking while using a mobile phone on balance perturbation and joint movement among young adults. Methods: Sixteen healthy college students with no history of brain injury were tested. The participants were asked to walk under four different conditions: (1) walking, (2) browsing, (3) dialing, and (4) texting. Indicators related to balance control and lower limb kinematic/kinetic parameters were analyzed using the continuous relative phase and statistical nonparametric mapping methods. Results: Walking while using a mobile phone slowed participants’ gait speed and reduced the cadence, stride length, and step length. The posterior tilt angle (0–14%, 57–99%), torque of the hip flexion (0–15%, 30–35%, 75–100%), and angle of the hip flexion (0–28%, 44–100%) decreased significantly. The activation of biceps femoris and gastrocnemius, hip stiffness, and ankle stiffness increased significantly. This impact on gait significantly differed among three dual tasks: texting > browsing > dialing. Conclusion: Che overlap of walking and mobile phone use affects the gait significantly. The “hip–ankle strategy” may result in a “smooth” but slower gait, while this strategy was deliberate and tense. In addition, this adjustment also increases the stiffness of the hip and ankle, increasing the risk of fatigue. Findings regarding this effect may prove that even for young healthy adults, walking with mobile phone use induces measurable adjustment of the motor pattern. These results suggest the importance of simplifying the control of the movement.
Journal	Bioengineering
Volume Number	10
PubMed Central reference number	PMC10295054
Issue Number	6
PubMed reference number	37370596
e-ISSN	23065354
DOI	10.3390/bioengineering10060665
Language	English
Publisher	MDPI
Publisher Date	2023-06-01
Access Restriction	Open
Rights License	Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). © 2023 by the authors.
Subject Keyword	dual-task gait alteration motor control mobile phone use young adults
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Bioengineering