Prevalence of Smartphone Addiction and Its Associated Factors Among College Students Aged 18-23 Years in Kerala,...

Background Smartphone addiction is a growing public health concern, especially among young adults. Literature regarding the prevalence and associated factors of smartphone addiction among young adults in Kerala remains limited and inconsistent. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of smartphone addiction and to identify its associated factors among college students in Kerala. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among 1,067 college students aged 18-23 years (53% females) from Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur districts of Kerala. Students from government, aided, and self-financing colleges were selected through a multistage cluster sampling method, where colleges and classes were randomly chosen. This approach helped ensure that the sample was representative and minimized selection bias, giving all eligible students in the selected clusters an equal chance of participation. The study was conducted over a period of nine months, from August 2024 to May 2025, with data collected between December 20, 2024, and February 20, 2025, using the Mobile Phone Use Screening Test (MUST) questionnaire. Data were analyzed using jamovi (Version 2.3) ([Computer Software]. Retrieved from https://www.jamovi.org)) for descriptive statistics, and multivariable logistic regression was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, V. 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results The prevalence of smartphone addiction was 39.9% (95% CI: 37-42.9). Factors significantly associated with smartphone addiction included a delay of over 30 minutes between phone use and sleep (aOR = 3.38; 95% CI: 1.84-6.19), smartphone use before sleep (aOR = 2.96; 95% CI: 1.80-4.86), use after midnight (aOR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.44-2.57), being from a nuclear family (aOR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.11-2.17), and using the phone for ≥30 minutes after lights off without a blue light filter (aOR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.14-1.93). Conclusion The study reveals a high prevalence of smartphone addiction among college students in Kerala. Targeted interventions addressing smartphone addiction among college students in Kerala are critical, especially for those from nuclear families and those who use their devices late at night. These at-risk groups include students who use smartphones after midnight, use them for 30 minutes or more after turning off the lights, or have a delay between smartphone use and falling asleep.