Impact of Mobile Phone Use on College Students' Self-perceived Health During the Epidemic in China: The Mediating Role of Sleep Quality

Abstract

Objectives: The soaring rate of Internet usage among college and university students during the pandemicbecame an abuse more than a necessity, turning the mobile phone usage as an addiction. However, the impactof using mobile phones on the perceived health of college students is still a controversial topic. The purposeof this study was to reveal the influencing factors of mobile phone usage on college students’ self-perceivedhealth during the pandemic. Methods: This study used data from 230 college students who had participatedin the China Comprehensive Social Survey (CGSS) in March 2021. A multiple linear regression model was used toconduct data analysis, considering the influence of multiple independent variables on the dependent variable.The hypothesis testing and predictive analytics were done to validate research hypotheses. Results: The studyfound that mobile phone usage has a positive impact on college students’ self-perception of health. However,this positive impact does not exist in isolation and is significantly mediated by sleep quality. Further analysisof the data of urban and rural college students found that the mobile phone utilization by urban collegestudents has a more significant impact on self-perceived health than by rural college students. Conclusions:In the context of public health emergencies, rational use of mobile phones can effectively alleviate thenegative emotions of college students. Therefore, it is imperative that students are guided towards healthy andrational utilization of mobile phones, to reduce potential negative effects and maintain a good mental state.