The Relationship Between Academic Performance and Physical Activity, Smart Phone Use and Sleep Quality in University Students

Abstract

Objective: Our study was planned to examine the academic achievement, physical activity, smart phone use and sleep quality of university students. Methods: Young individuals between the ages of 18-25 studying at a vocational school were included in the study. While recording the demographic information of the participants, individuals were classified as "heavy users" and "light users", taking into account the duration of smartphone use during the day. In addition, the physical activity levels of the individuals were evaluated with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), the smartphone usage level with the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form (SAS-SF), and the sleep quality with the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results: A total of 424 people, 326 of whom were women, with a mean age of 20.30±1.34 years, participated in the study. It was determined that 70.3% of the participants used smartphones for more than 4 hours a day. It was determined that there was a weak negative correlation between the academic success of the students and their physical activity levels, and that their academic success was not affected by smart phone use and sleep quality. However, it was determined that there was a weak positive correlation between the sleep quality of the students and their smartphone use. It was observed that the physical activity levels of male students were higher, while the academic success and sleep quality of normal education students were better. Conclusion: We think that active life, adequate and conscious smartphone use and quality sleep habits can affect academic success in university students.