Association between problematic smartphone use, loneliness, and risk behaviors among high school students in a conflict-affected setting: A cross-sectional study from Palestine.

BACKGROUND

Students and young adults are known to use their mobile devices at significant rates, which may put them at risk for problematic use, especially in war-torn countries. However, there is limited research on problematic smartphone use in Palestine. This study aims to examine the relationship between sociodemographic variables, feelings of loneliness, smoking, consumption of energy drinks, alcohol use, and problematic smartphone use among 12th-grade students.

METHODS

The study utilized a cross-sectional research design. We gathered data using a self-reported questionnaire that included the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV), and the UCLA Loneliness Scale.

RESULTS

A total of 1,083 participants were recruited, of whom 57.3% experienced problematic smartphone use. Also, 6.5% of the participants drank alcohol, 52.5% consumed energy drinks, 9% smoked cigarettes and 20.3% smoked water-pipe. The results of multivariate regression analysis revealed that participants who used smartphones for less than 2 h daily (AOR: 0.112, p < 0.001), those who used smartphones for 2 to 3 h daily (AOR: 0.354, p < 0.001) were at a high risk of problematic smartphone use compared to other participants. Also, participants who reported not feeling lonely were at a low risk of problematic smartphone use compared to those who felt lonely (AOR: 0.112, p < 0.001). Finally, participants who smoke cigarettes were at a high risk to experience problematic smartphone use than those who did not smoke (AOR: 1.630, p = 0.040). The sociodemographic variables, alcohol consumption, energy drink consumption, or water-pipe use were significant in the bivariate analysis but were not significant in the multivariate regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

Problematic smartphone use was prevalent among 12th-grade high school students in the current study. Feelings of loneliness, smoking cigarettes, and increased time spent on smartphones were associated with this issue. Programs that educate students, parents, and teachers on problematic smartphone use and risk factors can help prevent, detect, and manage this problem.