Rationale mobile phone usage is needed to decrease the dependency, improve sleep quality, and academic achievement of medical students. - GreenMedInfo Summary

BACKGROUND: Adverse effects of Mobile Phone (MP) usage could lead to dependency problems, and medical students are not excluded from it. We aimed to determine the pattern of MP usage, and its relation to sleep quality and academic performance between medical students at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study.

METHODS: A multistage stratified random sample was used for selection of 610 participants, during 2016-2017. A validated, anonymous data collection sheet was used. It inquired about the Grade Point Averages (GPA). It included the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPU-Q) for assessing various aspects of cellphone addiction (dependency, financial problems, prohibited and dangerous use). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was also included. Descriptive and inferential statistics were done.

RESULTS: A high frequency of MP usage prevailed among participants (73.4% used it>5 h/day). About two-thirds of participants had poor sleep quality. Females, owners of smartphone for>1 yr, and increasing time spent on MP were associated with MP dependency. Lower academic achievers had significantly worse MP scores on financial problems, dangerous use, and total PUMP. MP dependency was correlated with subjective sleep quality score, and sleep latency. Global PSQI scale was correlated with prohibited MP use.

CONCLUSIONS: Lower achievers had significantly worse scores on MP financial problems, dangerous usage, and the total PMPU. MP dependency was correlated with poor subjective sleep quality, and sleep latency. Rationale MP usage is needed to decrease the dependency, improve sleep quality, and academic achievement of medical students.