Impact of Continuing Medical Education (CME)-Based Sensitization on Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU) Among Medical...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Digital Well-being

Background:

• Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is prevalent among young adults, negatively impacting mental health, sleep, cognition, and academic performance.
• Medical students are a key demographic affected by PSU, necessitating targeted interventions.
• This study addresses PSU within the context of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3) and de-addiction campaigns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a continuing medical education (CME) program on problematic smartphone use (PSU) in medical students.
• To evaluate changes in screen time and smartphone addiction scores before and after the CME intervention.
• To validate the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) as a tool for assessing PSU.

Main Methods:

• Eighty medical students (aged 18-20) participated in a 15-day CME focused on de-addiction and SDG-3.
• Screen time was monitored using phone addiction tracker applications.
• The Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) was administered pre- and post-CME.
• Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in student screen time was observed post-CME (p<0.001).
• The mean SAS-SV score did not show a significant reduction, despite a Cronbach's alpha of 0.872 indicating good internal consistency.
• ROC analysis validated SAS-SV as a reliable tool for PSU assessment, with an area under the curve of 0.815.

Conclusions:

• The CME intervention effectively raised awareness and reduced screen time, indicating its potential for sensitizing students to PSU.
• SAS-SV is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring problematic smartphone use.
• Increased awareness about PSU and the availability of self-assessment tools like screen time trackers are crucial for youth well-being.