Loneliness and problematic mobile phone use among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of escape motivation and self-control

Li, Jiayu; Zhan, Danni; Zhou, Yuhong; Gao, Xuemei

doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106857

Cited by 92 publications

(74 citation statements)

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“…The MPAI was developed by Leung [ 21 ] to determine the symptoms of mobile phone addiction and provide a comprehensive assessment of mobile phone addiction level. This index has been widely applied in various studies around the world [ 22 , 23 ]. The 17-item MPAI scale ( Table S1 ) was used to assess four mobile phone addiction symptoms, including “inability to control craving,” “feeling anxious and lost,” “withdrawal/escape,” and “productivity loss.” We converted answers to questions, such as “Do your friends and family complain about your use of the mobile phone?” or “Do you feel lost without your mobile phone?” into scores, with 1 = “not at all,” 2 = “rarely,” 3 = “occasionally,” 4 = “often,” and 5 = “always.”…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet, the amount of time spent using mobile phones alone does not fully reflect the physical, psychological, and behavioral characteristics of mobile phone users. The Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI), developed by Leung [ 21 ] to characterize mobile phone addiction symptoms and provide a comprehensive assessment of addiction level, has been widely applied in various studies around the world [ 22 , 23 ]. This methodology, consisting of a 17-item MPAI scale, was used to categorize the four mobile phone addiction symptoms, including “inability to control craving”, “feeling anxious and lost”, “withdrawal/escape”, and “productivity loss”.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Association between Mobile Phone Addiction Index and Sugar-Sweetened Food Intake in Medical College Students Stratified by Sex from Shanghai, China

et al. 2021

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This study’s objective was to depict sugar-sweetened food (SSF) consumption in medical college students stratified by sex from Shanghai, China, and to explore the association between the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI) and SSF intake. The data were obtained from 1121 medical college students from the Fudan University, Shanghai, China, who took an online questionnaire investigation in December 2020. Data included demographics, the MPAI, the Nutrition Literacy Assessment Questionnaire (NLAQ), total and food expenditure per month, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and a food frequency questionnaire (carbonated beverages (CB), other sugar-based beverages (OSBB), sugar/chocolate). We evaluated the association between the MPAI and three types of SSF intake according to multivariate logistic regression analysis stratified by sex. The mean CB, OSBB, and sugar/chocolate intakes were, respectively, 65.66 mL/d, 74.20 mL/d, and 4.96 g/d in men and 30.42 mL/d, 71.48 mL/d, and 4.99 g/d in women. The MPAI was positively associated with SSF intake, regardless of sex. In men, the CB and OSBB odds ratios (ORs) were, respectively, 1.023 (95% CI: 1.004–1.042), 1.019 (95% CI: 1.001–1.038); and in women, the CB, OSBB, and sugar/chocolate ORs were, respectively, 1.026 (95% CI: 1.013–1.039), 1.020 (95% CI: 1.007–1.033), and 1.019 (95% CI: 1.006–1.032). Age, NLAQ, total expenditure, food expenditure, and total physical activity also were related to SSF intake. Age and the application capacity of the NLAQ were negatively associated with SSF intake, whereas comprehension capacity of the NLAQ, total and food expenditure, and total physical activity were positively associated with SSF intake. This study confirmed that SSF intake is widespread among medical college students from Shanghai, China, even if they have relatively high nutrition health literacy. From a public health perspective, it is necessary to reduce SSF intake in medical college students by decreasing the MPAI, controlling the total and food expenditure per month in high-consumption areas, and improving the application ability of the NLAQ. Further studies are needed to explore the MPAI and other potential factors that may influence SSF intake of college students by expanding the sample size of college students throughout China, and the causal association between them.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association between Mobile Phone Addiction Index and Sugar-Sweetened Food Intake in Medical College Students Stratified by Sex from Shanghai, China

et al. 2021

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“…All 20 items were summed up to create a total score ranging from 0 to 60, with higher scores indicating higher levels of loneliness. The measure has been widely used among Chinese adolescents with demonstrated psychometric properties ( 34 ). In the present study, Cronbach's alpha was 0.833.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mediating Role of Loneliness Between Social Support and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Rural Adolescents During COVID-19 Outbreak: A Comparative Study Between Left-Behind and Non-left-behind Students

et al. 2021

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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted people's life across the globe. In a public health crisis, rural adolescents are more prone to mental health problems. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese rural adolescents during the COVID-19 outbreak, and examine the association between perceived social support and depressive symptoms and its underlying mechanisms.Method: Perceived Social Support Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were administrated to 826 rural adolescents from Anhui Province, China, amid the COVID-19 crisis. Mackinnon's four-step procedure was employed to examine the mediating effect, while Hayes PROCESS macro was utilized to test the moderated mediation model.Results: The results showed the rate of depressive symptoms among rural adolescents in China was 77.6% during the outbreak of COVID-19. Female left-behind students and non-left-behind students from disrupted families experienced more depressive symptoms (all P < 0.05). Loneliness mediated the association between perceive social support and depressive symptoms and the indirect effect was stronger in left-behind adolescents in comparison to non-left-behind adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusion: Depressive symptoms are extremely prevalent among Chinese rural adolescents during the COVID-19 outbreak, and perceived social support plays a protective role against depressive symptoms. Chinese rural adolescents, especially left-behind students, could benefit from the interventions aimed at enhancing the perceived social support and reducing loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“…6 Research has shown that mobile phone addiction among college students can be predicted by students' level of loneliness. [7][8][9] For example, Bian and Leung found that the higher one scored in loneliness, the higher was the likelihood they would be addicted to asmartphone. 7 Previous studies have found that lonely people are more likely to be relationally incompetent, spend less time on social activities, and have difficulties maintaining stable relationships.…”

Section: Loneliness and Mobile Phone Addictionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness and Mobile Phone Addiction Among Chinese College Students: The Mediating Roles of Boredom Proneness and Self-Control

Li¹,

Feng²,

Xiao³

et al. 2021

PRBM

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Introduction Mobile phones bring convenience to people’s lives, but also affect their physical and mental health (especially in college students). Previous studies have revealed that mobile phone addiction is positively related to loneliness. This study further explored the mediating effects of boredom proneness and self-control on the relationship between loneliness and mobile phone addiction. Methods A cross-sectional design was conducted in the present study. The investigation employed the Chinese version of the UCLA Loneliness Self-report Scale, Boredom Proneness Scale-Short Form, the Chinese version of the Self-control scale, and the Mobile Phone Addiction Index. Out of 1122 college students, 1078 completed the questionnaire survey and became our final subjects. PROCESS macro of SPSS 21 was used to conduct explore the mediating roles of boredom proneness and self-control in the relationship between loneliness and mobile phone addiction. Results Loneliness, boredom proneness, and mobile phone addiction were significantly and positively correlated with each other, as well as significantly negatively correlated with self-control. Boredom proneness and self-control, when operating in parallel, partially mediated the relationship between loneliness and mobile phone addiction. By contrast, when occurring sequentially, they fully mediated the relationship between loneliness and mobile phone addiction. Conclusion Mobile phone addiction among lonely college students can be eliminated by exercising self-control and alleviating boredom proneness.

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Loneliness and problematic mobile phone use among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of escape motivation and self-control

Cited by 92 publications

References 50 publications

Association between Mobile Phone Addiction Index and Sugar-Sweetened Food Intake in Medical College Students Stratified by Sex from Shanghai, China

Association between Mobile Phone Addiction Index and Sugar-Sweetened Food Intake in Medical College Students Stratified by Sex from Shanghai, China

The Mediating Role of Loneliness Between Social Support and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Rural Adolescents During COVID-19 Outbreak: A Comparative Study Between Left-Behind and Non-left-behind Students

Loneliness and Mobile Phone Addiction Among Chinese College Students: The Mediating Roles of Boredom Proneness and Self-Control

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