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Smartphone addiction among university students in Tunisia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

M. Turki ,
H. E. Mhiri ,
F. jmil ,
A. Samet ,
N. Halouani ,
S. Ellouze  and
J. Aloulou
M. Turki
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
H. E. Mhiri
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
F. jmil
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
A. Samet*
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
N. Halouani
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
S. Ellouze
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
J. Aloulou
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Popularity and availability of smartphones have dramatically increased in the past years, and have led to a great impact on people’s daily lives changing their habits and behaviors. This trend is accompanied by increased concerns regarding potentially adverse effects of problematic smartphone use, particularly with respect to physical and mental health.

Objectives

In this study, we investigated prevalence and associated factors of smartphone addiction among Tunisian university students.

Methods

It was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical web-based study, conducted among 144 university students in Tunisia. Data were collected using an online questionnaire spread throughout social media (Facebook), using the Google Forms® platform, during September and October 2022. We used the “Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version” (SAS-SV).

Results

The mean age of participants was 23.38±3.27 years, with a sex-ratio of (F/M) of 2.8.

Tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use was noted respectively in 12.5%, 3.5% and 3.5% of cases.

The mean score SAS-SV was 37.92±8.82. Among the students, 68.8% were considered at high risk of Smartphone addiction.

Male students were more likely to be at higher risk of smartphone addiction than females, without a significant relationship.

Scores of SAS-SV were significantly higher among cannabis users (48.4 vs 37.54; p=0.006) and non-medical students (39.07 vs 36.11; p=0.049)

Conclusions

University students are a particularly vulnerable population to smartphone addiction, and this may lead to negative psychosocial effects. Educational awareness and preventive measures should be implemented.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 66 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 31st European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2023 , pp. S655 - S656
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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