Smartphone usage and its associated behaviours among undergraduate medical students in Pakistan

Abstract

Objectives of the Study The widespread availability of the Internet through smartphones has increased the excessive use of mobile devices. The objective of this study is to determine the frequency of behaviours associated with smartphone usage among ABWA Medical College, Pakistan medical students. Methods A cross-sectional survey was used for the research in ABWA Medical College, Pakistan After the approval by the institution IRB, the study was completed in 6 months. The sample size of the present study was 270 for the selection of sample and a purposive sampling technique was used to invite undergraduate medical students from all the five MBBS years to fill the validated Smartphone addiction survey( SAS) via online Google form after taking informed consent.The data was analysed through SPSS version 25.0, Results Of the 270 invited medical students, 264 medical students returned the form making a turnover rate of 97.7%. The primary smartphone uses were information storage, communication education and entertainment, with no statistical gender-based difference. Identified behaviors associated with smartphone usage included daily life disturbance, overuse, withdrawal, cyberspace-oriented relations, and tolerance. The ANOVA test showed significant differences in cyberspace-oriented relations.The study retained the null hypothesis for daily life disturbance, overuse, withdrawal, and tolerance but accepted it for cyberspace-oriented relations. Conclusion This study contributes valuable insights into the smartphone usage patterns and associated behaviors among ABWA Medical College, Pakistan medical students. The results can serve as a foundation for developing targeted interventions to promote healthy smartphone habits and enhance the educational experiences of medical students in the digital age.