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Factor Analysis of Game Addiction, Playtime, and Craniovertebral Angle on Musculoskeletal Disorders among Esports Players

Análisis de factores de la adicción al juego, el tiempo de juego y el ángulo craneovertebral en los trastornos musculoesqueléticos entre los jugadores de deportes electrónicos



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Riszki NM, Rahman F. Factor Analysis of Game Addiction, Playtime, and Craniovertebral Angle on Musculoskeletal Disorders among Esports Players. Rev. Investig. Innov. Cienc. Salud [Internet]. 2025 Jul. 3 [cited 2025 Jul. 8];7(2):1-18. Available from: https://riics.info/index.php/RCMC/article/view/420

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Nanda Maulana Riszki,

Department of Physiotherapy; University of Muhammadiyah Surakarta; Sukoharjo; Indonesia.


Farid Rahman,

Department of Physiotherapy; University of Muhammadiyah Surakarta; Sukoharjo; Indonesia.


Introduction. The popularity of esports continues to increase in Indonesia, with many players. The intensive activity of playing esports often leads to musculoskeletal disorders, which can impair performance, reduce quality of life, and shorten players' careers.

Objective. This study aims to analyze the correlation between digital game addiction, playtime, and craniovertebral angle with musculoskeletal disorders in Indonesian esports players.

Method. This cross-sectional study involved 338 esports players aged 16-30 years from amateur, semi-professional, and professional categories selected using an convenience sampling technique. Data were collected with the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) to identify musculoskeletal disorders, the Video Game Addiction Test (VAT) to measure the level of digital game addiction, and the Kinovea application to analyze craniovertebral angles and daily playtime reports.

Results. Digital game addiction level (r = 0.503), playtime (r = 0.405), and craniovertebral angle (r = -0.378) showed significant correlations with musculoskeletal disorders (p < 0.05). Ordinal regression analysis indicated that digital game addiction had the strongest correlation (p = 0.000), followed by craniovertebral angle (p = 0.001) and playtime (p = 0.038). Together, these three variables explained 32.7% of the variance in musculoskeletal disorders.

Conclusion. Digital game addiction, playtime, and craniovertebral angle are significantly correlated with musculoskeletal disorders in Indonesian esports players. These findings highlight the importance of ergonomics education, playtime limit, and improving posture to prevent the risk of these disorders, supporting player health and career sustainability.


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