학술논문

Smartphone addiction in children: patterns of use and musculoskeletal discomfort during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
Document Type
article
Source
BMC Pediatrics, Vol 22, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2022)
Subject
Pandemics
Problematic Smartphone usage
Addictions
Neck pain
Social networking
Pediatrics
RJ1-570
Language
English
ISSN
1471-2431
Abstract
Abstract Background Smartphone use has increased significantly, especially during the period of global pandemic caused by the novel SARS-CoV2 coronavirus (COVID-19). Concurrently, smartphone addiction is a growing social problem in children and adolescents with the consequence of adverse health outcomes. This study assessed the prevalence of smartphone addiction, patterns of use, and the experienced body-region discomfort among Iranian school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study with students from grades 1–9 recruited n = 585 participants (mean age = 14.49 (2.26 years); female = 65.8%). Data were collected from parents and students through the online 'Smartphone addiction scale-short version’ (SAS-SV), self-reported demographic questionnaires, and extracts of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire for the evaluation of musculoskeletal disorders. Results The prevalence rate of smartphone addiction (53.3%) was relatively high in the overall sample. Participants spent 6.85 (4.62) hours per day on their smartphones, which had increased 53.86% relative to the pre-pandemic period. The primary smartphone uses were for social networking (77.9%), web-surfing (53.3%), and camera activities (50.9%). There was a positive correlation between smartphone addiction as assessed with the SAS-SV and daily use time (r = 0.34, p