Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- . Sufiyan Kamal
- . Shaheera Kamal
- . Syed Muhammad Mubeen
- . Aresha Masood Shah
- . Syeda Sana Samar
- . Rida Zehra
- . Haya Khalid
- . Ramsha Naeem
Department of Community Health Sciences, Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry, Karachi, Pakistan
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Addiction refers to the irresistible urge to engage in certain actions or dependence
on a particular substance despite knowing negative consequences. The current study evaluated the
severity of Smartphone addiction and the factors associated with cell phone‑like activity.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross‑sectional study was conducted from July to August
2019 among medical and dental students in Karachi, Pakistan. A pretested self‑administered
questionnaire was used among 400 students. The mobile phone addiction was assessed using a
20-item, Mobile Phone Addiction Scale. A two‑stage cluster analysis was used to assess mobile
phone addiction‑like behaviours. Chi‑square test was used to find associations between categorical
variables. Kolmogorov–Smirnov to test normality of data were also used. A P < 0.05 was considered
to be statistically significant for all tests.
RESULTS: Out of the total 400 students, the majority 316 (79%) comprise female students. The
mean age was 20.54 ± 1.59 years. In 184 (48%) students, there was evidence of mobile phone
addiction‑like behavior. The prevalence was higher in female than male students and among older
compared to adolescent students; the differences were statistically nonsignificant. A higher median
score ≥ of 4 is found in questions related to components reflected intense desire, impaired control,
and tolerance and harmful mobile use.
CONCLUSION: This study highlights that a large number of students are addicted to their
smartphones. Smartphone addiction continues to be the most problematic addiction aided by the
presence of intense desire, impaired control tolerance, and harmful mobile use. The phenomenon
must be fully understood to draw deeper and richer inferences about the origins of this addictive
behavior, which is becoming more prevalent in our Pakistani society on a daily basis.
Keywords
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