Effects of Sleep Quality on the Association between Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Mental Health Symptoms in Chinese College Students

Shuman Tao, Xiaoyan Wu, Yukun Zhang, Shichen Zhang, Shilu Tong and Fangbiao Tao
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Shuman Tao: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
Xiaoyan Wu: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
Yukun Zhang: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
Shichen Zhang: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
Shilu Tong: Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei 230032, China
Fangbiao Tao: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-10

Abstract: Problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) is a risk factor for both adolescents’ sleep quality and mental health. It is important to examine the potential negative health effects of PMPU exposure. This study aims to evaluate PMPU and its association with mental health in Chinese college students. Furthermore, we investigated how sleep quality influences this association. In 2013, we collected data regarding participants’ PMPU, sleep quality, and mental health (psychopathological symptoms, anxiety, and depressive symptoms) by standardized questionnaires in 4747 college students. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to assess independent effects and interactions of PMPU and sleep quality with mental health. PMPU and poor sleep quality were observed in 28.2% and 9.8% of participants, respectively. Adjusted logistic regression models suggested independent associations of PMPU and sleep quality with mental health ( p < 0.001). Further regression analyses suggested a significant interaction between these measures ( p < 0.001). The study highlights that poor sleep quality may play a more significant role in increasing the risk of mental health problems in students with PMPU than in those without PMPU.

Keywords: cellular phone; cross-sectional studies; sleep; anxiety; depression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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