Relationship between depression,smartphone addiction,and sleep among Chinese engineering students during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND Existing research has demonstrated that depression is positively related to smartphone addiction, but the role of sleep has not been discussed thoroughly, especially among engineering undergraduates affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.AIM To evaluate sleep as a mediator of the association between smartphone addiction and depression among engineering undergraduates.METHODS Using a multistage stratified random sampling method, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 692 engineering undergraduates from a top engineering university in China, and data were collected by self-reported electronic questionnaires. The data included demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version(SAS-SV), the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the association between smartphone addiction and depression, while structural equation models were established to evaluate the possible mediating role of sleep.RESULTS Based on the cutoffs of the SAS-SV, the rate of smartphone addiction was 63.58 percent, with 56.21 percent for women and 65.68 percent for men, among 692 engineering students. The prevalence of depression among students was 14.16 percent, with 17.65 percent for women, and 13.18 percent for men. Smartphone addiction was positively correlated with depression, and sleep played a significant mediating effect between the two, accounting for 42.22 percent of the total effect. In addition, sleep latency, sleep disturbances, and daytime dysfunction significantly mediated the relationship between depression and smartphone addiction. The mediating effect of sleep latency was 0.014 [P < 0.01;95% confidence interval(CI): 0.006-0.027], the mediating effect of sleep disturbances was 0.022(P < 0.01;95%CI: 0.011-0.040), and the mediating effect of daytime dysfunction was 0.040(P < 0.01;95%CI: 0.024-0.059). The influence of sleep latency, sleep disturbances, and daytime dysfunction accounted for 18.42%, 28.95%, and 52.63% of the total mediating effect, respectively.CONCLUSION The results of the study suggest that reducing excessive smartphone use and improving sleep quality can help alleviate depression.

Prevalence and predictors of smartphone addiction and insomnia among nurses working in the outpatient department after the second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Objectives:The present study aims to assess the prevalence and predictors of smartphone addiction and insomnia among nurses working in the outpatient department(OPD)after the second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Materials and Methods:A descriptive,cross-sectional study was carried out among 117 OPD nurses between October and December 2021 using a purposive sampling technique.Two self-reported standardized scales,the Smartphone Addiction Scale-ShortVersion and Insomnia Severity Index were used.Kolmogorov–Smirnov test,Mann–Whitney U,and Kruskal–Wallis Htest were used.Pearson’s correlation and Scatter plot were used to determine the relationship between the study variables.A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was also performed.Results:The majority of participants had slight smartphone addiction(78.6%)and suffered from sub-threshold to severe forms of insomnia(73.5%).A significant mild positive correlation was found between smartphone addiction and insomnia(r=0.195,P<0.05).Stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis predicted factors such as female gender and exposure to smartphones for more than 5 years influencing smartphone addiction.A strong influence of exposure to the smartphone for more than 5 years was found on insomnia severity.Conclusion:Smartphone addiction and insomnia were identified problems among nurses working in the OPD after the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic,requiring an urgent need to identify and manage various factors responsible for smartphone addiction and insomnia such as female gender and years of exposure to smartphones.

An Empirical Study on the Relationships Between Smartphone Addiction and Student Engagement and Academic Performance of Chinese English Majors

In the past few years, the phenomenon of smartphone addiction has become more serious especially among university students. In order to explore whether smartphone addiction has an impact on students' learning, this study examined the relationships between smartphone addiction and student engagement and academic performance among 157 English majors by One-way ANOVA. Results suggested that there was not any significant difference in student engagement and academic performance among students of different levels of smartphone addiction. The implications for prevention strategies of smartphone addiction and further research are discussed.

Validity,Reliability,and Measurement Invariance of the Thai Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale

Background:In recent years,there has been increased research interest in both smartphone addiction and social media addiction as well as the development of psychometric instruments to assess these constructs.However,there is a lack of psychometric evaluation for instruments assessing smartphone addiction and social media addiction in Thailand.The present study evaluated the psychometric properties and gender measurement invariance of the Thai version of the Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale(SABAS)and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale(BSMAS).Method:A total of 801 Thai university students participated in an online survey from January 2022 to July 2022 which included demographic information,SABAS,BSMAS,and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form(IGDS9-SF).Results:Confirmatory Factor Analyses(CFAs)found that both the SABAS and BSMAS had a one-factor structure.Findings demonstrated adequate psychometric properties of both instruments and also supported measurement invariance across genders.Moreover,scores on the SABAS and BSMAS were correlated with scores on the IGDS9-SF.Conclusion:The results indicated that the SABAS and BSMAS are useful psychometric instruments for assessing the risk of smartphone addiction and social media addiction among Thai young adults.

Neuroimaging the effects of smartphone(over-)use on brain function and structure-a review on the current state of MRI-based findings and a roadmap for future research

The smartphone represents a transformative device that dramatically changed our daily lives,including how we communicate,work,entertain ourselves,and navigate through unknown territory.Given its ubiquitous availability and impact on nearly every aspect of our lives,debates on the potential impact of smartphone(over-)use on the brain and whether smartphone use can be“addictive”have increased over the last years.Several studies have used magnetic resonance imaging to characterize associations between individual differences in excessive smartphone use and variations in brain structure or function.Therefore,it is an opportune time to summarize and critically reflect on the available studies.Following this overview,we present a roadmap for future research to improve our understanding of how excessive smartphone use can affect the brain,mental health,and cognitive and affective functions.