Smartphone addiction and associated factors among postgraduate students in an Arabic sample: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: BMC psychiatry 2021-06, Vol.21 (1), p.302-302, Article 302
• Main Authors: Alageel, Asem A, Alyahya, Rayyan A, A Bahatheq, Yasser, Alzunaydi, Norah A, Alghamdi, Raed A, Alrahili, Nader M, McIntyre, Roger S, Iacobucci, Michelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addiction; Addictions; Addictive behaviors; Addicts; ADHD; Adult; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Behavior, Addictive - epidemiology; College students; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demography; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major; Drug abuse; Drug dependence; Drug use; Emotional disorders; Graduate work; Health aspects; Humans; Hyperactivity; Insomnia; Internet; Internet Addiction Disorder; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mood disorders; Nicotine; Postgraduate; Psychiatry; Psychological aspects; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Risk factors; Sleep disorders; Smart phones; Smartphone; Smartphones; Smoking; Social networks; Students; Surveys; Universities and colleges; University students
• ISSN: 1471-244X; 1471-244X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12888-021-03285-0

Smartphone addiction, as with other behavioral addictions, is associated with social, physical, and mental health issues. In this article, we investigated the prevalence of smartphone addiction among postgraduate students and evaluated its correlation with social demographics, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and nicotine dependence. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of smartphone addiction among Middle Eastern postgraduate students, determine the factors associated with smartphone addiction, and estimate the incidence rate of major depressive disorder (MDD), ADHD, insomnia, and nicotine addiction among postgraduate students with smartphone addiction. As part of a cross-sectional online survey, participants were given a self-questionnaire divided into six sections: Socio-demographics, Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) for Depression, Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), the Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence Questionnaire (FTCd), and the adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1). Of the 506 patients, 51.0% of the participants demonstrated smartphone addiction. A significant association was also observed between extensive smartphone use and MDD (P = 0.001). Of the smokers in this study, 41.5% were addicted to smartphones (P = 0.039). Smartphone addicts had approximately two times the chance of having insomnia (OR = 2.113) (P = 0.013). In addition, they showcased more ADHD symptoms (OR = 2.712) (P