Smartphone addiction and health promotion lifestyle in university students: a cross-sectional analytical study

Smartphones have become essential, making our daily lives more manageable; however, excessive use may cause problems. University students are particularly vulnerable to smartphone addiction. This study examines the relationship between smartphone addiction and health-promoting lifestyles among university students.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 911 students at Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey. Data were collected via Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) and Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II). The printed forms were used, and the researcher administered the survey in person and recorded the responses.

Prevalence of smartphone addiction was 34.1%. Several factors were significantly associated, including female gender (p = 0.049), being single (p = 0.042), self-perceived smartphone addiction (p < 0.001), daytime sleepiness (p < 0.001), and poor sleep quality (p < 0.001). Students with smartphone addiction had significantly lower HPLP II scores (p = 0.001).Logistic regression analysis showed that gender was no longer a significant factor. Those without a partner (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.07-2.03), those who considered themselves smartphone addicts (OR: 6.86, 95% CI: 4.99-9.42), and those with daytime sleepiness (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.08-2.14) had higher odds of smartphone addiction. Higher HPLP II scores were protective against smartphone addiction (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98-0.99).

This study highlights that students with smartphone addiction engage in less health-promoting behaviours and experience poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. Self-perceived smartphone addiction was strongly associated with actual addiction, while a healthier lifestyle appeared to have a protective effect. There is a need for strategies to promote healthy habits and reduce smartphone addiction among university students.