Smartphone dependence and addiction and bruxism in “NEET” young people in two coastal cities in Peru

Abstract

Background Excessive smartphone use has become a growing public health concern, especially among young people. Previous studies have suggested a possible relationship between excessive smartphone use and bruxism. However, the evidence on this relationship is still limited and inconclusive. This study aimed to determine the relationship between smartphone dependence and addiction and bruxism in “NEET” (not in education, employment or training) young people in two coastal cities in Peru: Piura and Chincha. Methods A cross-sectional, correlational, and exploratory study was conducted. The sample consisted of 195 "NEETs" young people who attended to dental office. Two data collection instruments were used: the Smartphone Dependence and Addiction Scale (EDAS-18) and the self-reported bruxism questionnaire (CBA). The Chi2 Pearson test was used to analyze the association between the variables. Results In Piura, a significant association was found between smartphone dependence or addiction and bruxism (49.3% of young people with smartphone dependence or addiction had bruxism, p-value = 0.003). However, in Chincha this relationship was not significant. In the latter city, bruxism showed a significant association with gender (men had a higher prevalence of bruxism, p-value = 0.034), but not with smartphone dependence or addiction (p-value = 0.171). In Piura, the proportion of bruxism was 3.77 times higher in those with smartphone dependence or addiction in the simple model (p-value = 0.004), and 5.38 times higher in the adjusted model (p-value = 0.001). Conclusion This study highlights the regional variability in the relationship between smartphone use and bruxism among “NEETs” young people. A significant association is evident in Piura but not in Chincha, which underscores the need for context-adapted interventions to address the effects of excessive technology use on oral health.