Prevalence of Smartphone Addiction and Its Association with Sociodemographic, Physical and Mental Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study among the Young Adults of Bangladesh

Zubair Ahmed Ratan, Anne-Maree Parrish, Mohammad Saud Alotaibi and Hassan Hosseinzadeh ()
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Zubair Ahmed Ratan: School of Health and Society, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave., Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
Anne-Maree Parrish: School of Health and Society, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave., Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
Mohammad Saud Alotaibi: School of Health and Society, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave., Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
Hassan Hosseinzadeh: School of Health and Society, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave., Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 24, 1-11

Abstract: Smartphones have made our lives easier and have become indispensable for everyday life; however, their uncontrolled and excessive use can trigger “smartphone addiction” (SA). SA is a rising public health issue, particularly among young people around the world. There is a dearth of empirical research about SA and its impacts on young adults, particularly in developing countries such as Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study is an attempt to fill this gap. The data were collected from 440 eligible young adults in Bangladesh using an online survey between July 2021 and February 2022. Study results revealed that 61.4% of the young adults were addicted to their smartphone. Logistic regression analysis showed that being male, aged ≤25, unemployed and living with a large family size (≥8) were the significant sociodemographic predictors of SA. Smartphone-addicted participants were more likely to be less physically active, suffer from insomnia, be overweight or obese and use their phones while driving, walking and eating. In addition, the SA group were more likely to have physical and mental well-being problems. This study brings to light significant implications for policy makers and indicates a need for an SA community awareness programme which aims to reduce SA at the societal level.

Keywords: smartphone addiction; physical and mental health; prevalence; Bangladesh (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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