Characteristics of medical students with problematic Smartphone use: A cross- sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background: Excessive smartphone use is common among university students and can negatively affect students’ mental health, however, data from Middle-East countries is scarce. Objective: To determine characteristics of medical students affected by and the prevalence of problematic smartphone use in a sample of Iranian medical students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a large Iranian medical university. A convenience sample of 356 students of different years of medical training were recruited. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, daily estimated average time using smartphone and main motivations to use smartphone were collected through a self-reported questionnaire. Problematic smartphone use (PSU) was evaluated using Smartphone Addiction Scale – Short Version (SAS-SV) questionnaire. Backward logistic regression analysis was used to understand independent factors associated with PSU. Results: The mean SAS-SV score was 35.6 ± 10.3. Overall, two-thirds of Iranian medical students was affected by PSU, including 68.5% of male and 64% of female students. There was no statistically significant association between participants, SAS-SV scores and their gender, marital status, stage of medical training, and cigarette and alcohol use status (P> 0.10). However, Students who lived alone had significantly higher SAS-SV scores than those who lived with their family (p= 0.007). Additionally, students with daily smartphone use > 4 hours were 3.2 times more likely to be diagnosed with PSU (P< 0.001). Social media use was the main motivation that strongly predicted presence of PSU among medical students (Adjusted OR: 2.87, 95%CI: 1.68 – 4.89). Conclusions: Main motivation to use and duration of phone use are the most important factors predicting problematic smartphone use among medical students.