Background
Young adulthood is a sensitive life period where development of musculoskeletal neck pain may be established and impact future health. 

Method
We conducted a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement investigating risk factors for neck pain in young adults (18-29 years). Systematic searches were conducted in six databases in January 2019. Prospective cohorts and registry studies were included. Participants had to be 18-29 years old at baseline, at follow-up and/or both. The Quality in Prognosis Studies tool was used for quality assessment. A modification of the Grading of Recommendations Assessments, Development and Evaluation was used to assess the overall quality of the evidence. Searches yielded 4221 articles, of which six matched the eligibility criteria. 

Results
Fifty-six potential risk factors were investigated in the six studies, covering a broad range of domains. Five risk factors were investigated in more than one study (female sex, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, duration of computer use and perceived stress). Physical activity and BMI showed no association with neck pain, and inconsistent results were found for female sex, duration of daily computer use and perceived stress. Risk of bias was moderate or high in all studies, and the overall quality of evidence was very low for all identified factors. 

Conclusion
The studies included many potential risk factors, but none of them showed consistent associations. This might be because of heterogeneity and the paucity of high quality studies investigating risk factors for neck pain in young adults.

RISK FACTORS FOR NECK PAIN IN YOUNG ADULTS - A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW