The Impact of Obesity on Deep Neck Flexor Endurance among College Students in Chennai: A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/sjk2y656Keywords:
Deep Neck Flexor Endurance, Obesity, collegiate students, BMI, DNFE hold timeAbstract
Background: Obesity is an epidemic that impacts individuals across all age groups, from children and adolescents to adults and the elderly. The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between obesity and deep neck flexor endurance among college students. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on obese college students without neck pain. The measure of obesity used was the Asian Body Mass Index (BMI) classification, and muscular endurance was assessed using the Deep Neck Flexor Endurance Test (DNFET). Relationships were explored through Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) analysis. Results: A total of 100 (60 male, 40 female) obese college students were enrolled. These college students had a significantly reduced DNFE. The correlation r value for males and females were -0.822 and -0.762, so there is strong negative correlation. Conclusion: Obese college students exhibit a lack of deep neck muscle endurance, which may increase the risk of developing neck muscle injuries.
Downloads
References
Mohammed MS, Sendra S, Lloret J, Bosch I. Systems
and WBANs for controlling obesity. Journal of
Healthcare Engineering. 2018 Feb 1;2018.
Obesity and overweight [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jan 10].
Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/
fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight.
Medvedyuk S, Ali A, Raphael D. Ideology, obesity and
the social determinants of health: a critical analysis of
the obesity and health relationship. Critical Public
Health. 2018 Oct 20;28(5):573-85.
Nyberg ST, Batty GD, Pentti J, Virtanen M, Alfredsson
L et al., Obesity and loss of disease-free years
owing to major non communicable diseases: a
multicohort study. The lancet Public health. 2018 Oct
;3(10): e490-7.
Noncommunicable diseases [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jan
. Available from: https://www.who.int/newsroom/
fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases.
Tomlinson DJ, Erskine RM, Morse CI, Winwood K,
Onambélé-Pearson G. The impact of obesity on skeletal
muscle strength and structure through adolescence to
old age. Biogerontology. 2016 Jun;17:467-83.
Kumbhare DA, Balsor B, Parkinson WL, Harding
Bsckin P, Bedard M, Papaioannou A, Adachi JD.
Measurement of cervical flexor endurance following
whiplash. Disability and rehabilitation. 2005 Jul
;27(14):801-7.
Biomechanists explore effects of obesity on falls
Febraury 2016, https://lermagazine.com/article/
biomechanists-explore-effect-of-obesity-on-falls(last
accessed 19 Feb. 22).
Sizer Jr PS, Poorbaugh K, Phelps V. Whiplash
associated disorders: pathomechanics, diagnosis, and
management. Pain Practice. 2004 Sep;4(3):249-66.
Hozumi J, Sumitani M, Matsubayashi Y, Abe H,
Oshima Y, Chikuda H, Takeshita K, Yamada Y.
Relationship between neuropathic pain and obesity.
Pain research and management. 2016 Oct;2016.
Walsh TP, Arnold JB, Evans AM, Yaxley A, Damarell
RA, Shanahan EM. The association between body fat
and musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and
meta-analysis. BMC musculoskeletal disorders. 2018
Dec;19:1-3.
Grimmer K. Measuring the endurance capacity of the
cervical short flexor muscle group. Australian Journal
of Physiotherapy. 1994 Jan 1;40(4):251-4.
Falla DL, Jull GA, Hodges PW. Patients with neck pain
demonstrate reduced electromyographic activity of
the deep cervical flexor muscles during performance
of the craniocervical flexion test. Spine. 2004 Oct
;29(19):2108-14.
Olson LE, Millar AL, Dunker J, Hicks J, Glanz D.
Reliability of a clinical test for deep cervical flexor
endurance. Journal of manipulative and physiological
therapeutics. 2006 Feb 1;29(2):134-8.
Painkra JP, Kumar S, Anwer S, Kumar R, Nezamuddin
M, Equebal A. Reliability of an assessment of deep
neck flexor muscle endurance test: A cross-sectional
study. International Journal of Therapy and
Rehabilitation. 2014 May;21(5):227-31.
BD Chaurasia. Human Anatomy: Regional and
Applied Dissection and Clinical, Head and Neck. 8th
ed. CBS Publishers & Distributors Pvt Ltd; 2020.
Levangie PK, Norkin CC, et al. Joint Structure and
Function: A Comprehensive Analysis. 5th ed. 176 p.
Girdhar S, Sharma S, ChaudharyGirdhar S, Sharma
S, Chaudhary A, Bansal P, Satija M. An epidemiological
study of overweight and obesity among women
in an urban area of North India. Indian journal of
community medicine: 2016 Apr;41(2):154.
Pengpid S, Peltzer K. Prevalence of overweight/
obesity and central obesity and its associated factors
among a sample of university students in India. Obes
Res Clin Pract. 2014 Nov 1;8(6):e558–70.
Jarman NF, Brooks T, James CR, Hooper T, Wilhelm
M, Brismée JM, et al. Deep Neck Flexor Endurance in
the Adolescent and Young Adult: Normative Data and
Associated Attributes. PM&R. 2017 Oct 1;9(10):969–75.
Domenech MA, Sizer PS, Dedrick GS, McGalliard
MK, Brismee JM. The deep neck flexor endurance test:
normative data scores in healthy adults. PM R. 2011
Feb;3(2):105–10.
Jarman NF, Brooks T, James CR, Hooper T, Wilhelm
M, Brismée JM, Domenech MA, Kotara SJ, Sizer PS.
Deep neck flexor endurance in the adolescent and
young adult: normative data and associated attributes.
PM&R. 2017 Oct 1;9(10):969-75.
Oliveira AC, Silva AG. Neck muscle endurance and
head posture: a comparison between adolescents with
and without neck pain. Manual therapy. 2016 Apr
;22:62-7.
Watson DH, Trott PH. Cervical headache: an
investigation of natural head posture and upper
cervical flexor muscle performance. Cephalalgia. 1993
Aug;13(4):272-84.
Mayer JM, Nuzzo JL, Chen R, Quillen WS, Verna JL,
Miro R, Dagenais S. The impact of obesity on back and
core muscular endurance in firefighters. Journal of
obesity. 2012 Nov 19;2012.
Zele MR, Katke S, Anthikat M et.al. Correlation
of reduced endurance capacity of neck flexor and
extensor in cigarette smokers of college going students.
Int J Health Sci Res. 2021; 11(7): 25-30.
Collins CL, Fletcher EN, Fields SK, Kluchurosky
L, Rohrkemper MK, Comstock RD, Cantu RC.
Neck strength: a protective factor reducing risk for
concussion in high school sports. The journal of
primary prevention. 2014 Oct;35:309-19.
O’Leary S, Jull G, Kim M, Vicenzino B. Specificity in
retraining craniocervical flexor muscle performance.
journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy. 2007
Jan;37(1):3-9.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Malavika Dhanaraman, Loganathan Devaraj, M. Saravana Hari Ganesh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.