Prevalence of Problematic Smartphone Usage and Associated Physical and Mental Health Outcomes among College Students: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: The development of smartphones has caused a dramatic change in societies worldwide. It is one of the best tools that have integrated communication, education, and entertainment. Exploration of the connection between unbalanced use and different aspects of health will be evaluated such as addiction/problematic smartphone usage (PSU), social influences, and brain changes. Objective: The objective of the study was to identify the prevalence and consequences of PSU on physical and mental health among college students of Bhopal city. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out as a pilot study among 50 college students who have been using smartphones. Self-reported questionnaire containing data related to the use of smartphone, and its impact on mental health had been collected by smartphone addiction scale-short version and generalized anxiety disorder-7. Results: The present study reported 66% of students were smartphone addicted (55% males, 46% females), and 46% of students were using smartphone more than 6 h per day. Seventy percent of students were using smartphone >5 years. In this study, 67% of addicted students were having anxiety. Sixty-one percent of addicted students were found in 25–30 years of age group which is higher than 18–24 years of age group (only 39% of students were addicted). Twenty-one percent of addicted students were having dry eye syndrome. Twenty-one percent of addicted students were found overweight and obese. Conclusions: The prevalence of PSU was quite high among the college students and maximum students reported anxiety and dry eye syndrome. It is necessity of today’s era to develop awareness regarding PSU and its negative impact on physical as well as mental health.

Keywords

• addiction
• anxiety
• dry eye
• mental health
• problematic smartphone usage