Sleep quality as a mediator of problematic smartphone use and clinical health symptoms

Abstract

Background and aimsAlthough smartphone use brings many benefits for adolescents, it is also associated with many serious health problems. This study examined the relationship between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and clinical health symptoms (e.g., body dysfunction) and the mediating effects of sleep quality on this relationship in adolescents.MethodsParticipants in this cross-sectional survey were 686 middle- and high-school students (girls = 55.7%, Mage = 12.98 ± 1.38 years). Participants completed self-report measures of PSU, sleep quality, and physical symptoms. Correlation analyses and structural equation modeling between adolescents’ PSU and the variables of interest were conducted.ResultsThis study indicated that there was a significant positive correlation between PSU and health symptoms. Furthermore, sleep quality mediated the relationship between PSU and health symptoms.Discussion and conclusionsFindings suggest that to promote health and wellness in adolescents, individuals should be encouraged to place boundaries on smartphone use, especially at bedtime. Reducing adolescents’ exposure to smartphone use in this way may hold promise for improving the efficacy of PSU prevention efforts for adolescents.

Excessive use of mobile devices and children's physical health

“…Nine of the 25 identified studies included a measure of subjective sleep quality. Multiple studies measured overall sleep quality with commonly used inventories such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Liu, Zhou, Niu, & Fan, ; Woods & Scott, ; Xie, Dong, & Wang, ) or the School Sleep Habits Survey (Vernon, Barber, & Modecki, ; Vernon, Modecki, & Barber, ). A few studies developed measures specific to their research questions (Dube et al, ; Ekİncİ et al, ; Kubiszewski, Fontaine, Rusch, & Hazouard, ; Munezawa et al, ).…”

Self-Esteem and Problematic Smartphone Use Among Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model of Depression and Interpersonal Trust

“…Problematic smartphone use was measured by a 33-item inventory developed by Xie et al (2018). This inventory covers four aspects of PSU: overuse, withdrawal, compulsive behavior, and disturbances.…”

“…Particularly among adolescents, the smartphone, as an internet terminal, is the main point of access to the internet (We Are Social and Hootsuite, 2018;China Internet Network Information Center, 2019). However, despite their portability, convenience, and versatility, smartphones are causing some problems, one of which is referred to as "problematic smartphone use" (PSU) (Kuss et al, 2018;Xie et al, 2018). PSU is defined as inappropriate or excessive uses of smartphones that might interfere with everyday life, impair social functions, and/or lead to psychological and/or behavioral problems (Billieux et al, 2015).…”

“…Many studies have found adverse consequences of PSU, particularly for adolescents. It has a negative influence on their physical health, such as headaches (Söderqvist et al, 2008), sleep problems (Söderqvist et al, 2008;Lemola et al, 2015;Xie et al, 2018), eye and vision problems (Xie et al, 2018), and so on. Other studies found that PSU damaged adolescents' psychological and social functions (Yen et al, 2009), and it led to behavioral problems, such as aggression and smoking (Augner and Hacker, 2012).…”

High Serum Cortisol Levels as a Potential Indicator for Changes in Well-Regulated Daily Life among Junior High School Students

“…Problematic smartphone use, that is associated with Internet addiction and mobile gaming addiction, among adolescents has become a social concern in Japan (Hashioka et al 2019). Indeed, problematic smartphone use is associated with poor sleep quality (Xie et al 2018). The relationship between life habits and levels of immunological and neuroendocrine biomarkers, including the stress hormone cortisol, in adolescents seems to be important to objectively comprehend their health and well-being in school life.…”