Reciprocal Relationships between Sleep Problems and Problematic Smartphone Use in Taiwan: Cross-Lagged Panel Study

Ji-Kang Chen and Wen-Chi Wu
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Ji-Kang Chen: Department of Social Work, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
Wen-Chi Wu: Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, School of Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 106, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-10

Abstract: Prior studies have suggested a link between sleep problems and problematic smartphone use. However, the causal relationships between these two variables have not been identified, particularly in adolescence. Utilizing longitudinal panel data from Taiwan, this report examined the temporal relationships between sleep problems and problematic smartphone use among adolescents. One thousand and thirty-nine students (Grades 7–12) were surveyed at two-time points with a 6-month interval. The results of cross-lagged panel analysis showed that sleep problems at Time 1 significantly predicted problematic smartphone use at Time 2. Problematic smartphone use at Time 1 also significantly predicted sleep problems at Time 2. These findings applied to boys and girls and suggested that temporal relationships between sleep problems and problematic smartphone use among teenagers are reciprocal. Accordingly, increasing sleep quality may prevent future problematic smartphone use, while reducing problematic smartphone use may prevent sleep problems in adolescents.

Keywords: problematic smartphone use; sleep problems; adolescents; cross-lagged panel analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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