Smartphone Addiction among Nursing and Health Students

Abstract

Background:Smartphones are integral to human life and are in great demand by young people to communicate, use various applications, study, watch, and play games, browse the internet, and listen to music. However, for most people, the cumulative daily time spent on smartphones is quite long. This review aimed to analyze the risks of smartphone addiction among health students. Methods: This study was conducted by searching four electronic databases, ProQuest, CINAHLEBSCO, PubMed, and Science Direct, from 2016 to 2022. The keywords used were “Smartphone Addiction” AND “Medical” OR “Nursing” OR “Psychology” OR "Health." Results:Of the 923 articles screened, 25 met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that 15.6%–81.1% of nursing and health students were addicted to smartphones, having an average use of five hours daily. Conclusion:Nursing and health students have the potential to become addicted to smartphones, with an impact on psychology (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression, and neuroticism), sleep disorders, and general health. Therefore, the need for interventions from various parties, such as students, families, universities, and health workers, through psychoeducation and self-management for nursing and health students is necessary.