Background Smart devices (SDs) are widely used among adolescents. Numerous studies have recommended further research on this topic to find out the prevalence of SD overuse among school students and to what extent this is associated with psychological distress. The present study aimed to investigate the pattern of SD use among secondary and high school students in the state of Kuwait, as well as the possible associations with psychological problems, weight, physical activity, and school performance. Materials and methods The correlational study design aimed to survey students from public schools by using a questionnaire and valid instruments, which included: Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version (SAS-SV) and Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Scale–(DASS-21). Pearson’s correlation coefficient, t-tests, one-way ANOVA were applied to find associations or significant differences between the categorical variables, in which p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The study included 1,993 students from secondary schools (48.9%) and high schools (51.1%), of which 47.5% were male and 52.5% were female. There were significant statistical differences in the pattern of use of SDs, addiction to SD use, stress, anxiety, and depression according to gender, school type, school performance, and sport engagement. In addition, there were positive correlations between students’ addiction to SD use and stress, anxiety, and depression. Conclusions The findings suggest that excessive SD use is associated with addiction among secondary and high school students. In addition, levels of stress, anxiety, and depression differ according to the number of hours of SD use. Strategies should be developed at the community and school levels to avoid the overuse of SDs among school-aged students.

Background Parents’ awareness of the risks of the overuse of smartphones (SPs) among their children and parents’ attitudes toward this societal phenomenon are crucial factors to consider when investigating the causes and effects of, as well as interventions to control, this public health issue. Objective This study aimed to explore the awareness and attitudes of parents regarding SP overuse among their children and the detrimental impacts associated with it. Methods The qualitative method of semistructured face-to-face interviews was used to collect data from fathers and mothers of children aged 6-18 years from all 6 educational/governorate regions in the governmental sector in Kuwait. Results A total of 120 parents agreed to participate in the study; there were more female (75/120, 62.5%) than male (45/120, 37.5%) respondents. Almost all of the participants (118/120, 98.3%) were aware that the overuse of SPs could lead to their children becoming addicted to the devices; they were also aware that there could be side effects on their children’s health (117/120, 97.5%). Although the participants, mostly the mothers, supervised their children’s use of SPs closely (106/120, 88.3%), the majority could not control their children’s length of time using SPs, as the children considered this a deprivation of their rights. Eye-related problems, headaches, and anger were the most common side effects experienced by the children. Conclusions Although the parents were aware of the detrimental impacts of SP overuse, the majority could not control the length of time their children spent using the devices. It was found that strong social bonds among family members play a large role in controlling the use of SPs. A number of solutions for families and the government to combat the overuse of SPs are suggested.

The study tested the meaning of work among 340 Kuwaiti workers in the public sector. A questionnaire was constructed to measure meaning of work by drawing 46 items from existing scales and from the meaning of work literature. They were put together, translated into Arabic, and adapted to be relevant to Kuwaiti society. Analysis showed the developed scale has acceptable reliability and validity coefficients for Kuwaiti workers. Also, Kuwaiti workers gave priority to extrinsic rewards from work, then intrinsic rewards, whereas Work Centrality had the lowest priority. Sex, occupation, and the intention not to change one's job in the future were significantly related to the meaning which these workers attributed to their work.

BACKGROUND Parents’ awareness of the risk of the overuse of smartphones (SPs) among their children and parents’ attitudes towards this societal phenomenon are crucial factors to consider when investigating the causes and effects of, and interventions to control, this public health issue. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to explore the awareness and attitudes of parents regarding SP overuse among their children and the detrimental impacts associated with it METHODS The qualitative method of semi-structured face-to-face interviews was used to collect data from fathers and mothers of children aged 6–18 years RESULTS One hundred and twenty parents agreed to participate in the study: there were more female (62.5%) than male (37.5%) respondents. Almost all of the participants (98.3%) were aware that the overuse of SPs could lead to their children becoming addicted to the devices; they were also aware that there could be side effects on their health (97.5%). Although the participants, mostly the mothers, supervised their children’s use of SPs closely (88.3%), the majority could not control their children’s length of time using SPs, as the children considered this a deprivation of their rights. Eye-related problems, headaches, and anger were the most common complaints among the children CONCLUSIONS Although the parents were aware of detrimental impact of SP overuse, the majority could not control the length of time their children spent using the devices. It was found that strong social bonds among family members can play a large role in controlling the use of SPs. Solutions are suggested.

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