Contribution of digital gaming addiction level, playtime, craniovertebral angle to headache symptoms in E-sports enthusiasts

Purpose TE-sports enthusiasts are individuals who engage in electronic sports, using devices such as smartphones, computers, and consoles to train and compete. Excessive device use and poor posture can lead to headaches, with a global prevalence of 47%. This study analysed the contributions of digital gaming addiction levels, playtime, and craniovertebral angle to headache symptoms in E-sports enthusiasts. It also analysed headache profiles based on the type of devices used: smartphones, computers, and consoles. Methods A cross-sectional study with a non-probability sampling method was conducted using the accidental sampling technique. Data were collected from 342 E-sports enthusiasts who met the inclusion criteria. Digital gaming addiction was measured using the Video Game Addiction Test, playtime was classified based on daily playtime, and the craniovertebral angle (CVA) was measured using the Kinovea application. Results Digital gaming addiction (<i>p</i> = 0.001) and CVA (<i>p</i> = 0.004) showed significant correlations with headache symptoms, while playtime did not show a significant correlation (<i>p</i> = 0.511). Ordinal regression analysis showed that the level of addiction and CVA contributed 13.3% to headaches, with 86.7% being influenced by other factors not studied. Conclusions Levels of Digital Gaming Addiction and normal CVA correlate with headache symptoms in E-sports enthusiasts, while low playtime has no effect on the correlation of headache symptoms in E-sports enthusiasts. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring gaming habits and head posture among E-sports enthusiasts to prevent headaches and enhance performanc.