IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i22p12257-d685006.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Smartphone Addiction and Associated Health Outcomes in Adult Populations: A Systematic Review

Author

Listed:
  • 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
    Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna 9203, Bangladesh)

  • 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)

  • Sojib Bin Zaman

    (Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, 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
    Department of Social Work, College of Social Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca 24382, Saudi Arabia)

  • Hassan Hosseinzadeh

    (School of Health and Society, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave., Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia)

Abstract

Background: Smartphones play a critical role in increasing human–machine interactions, with many advantages. However, the growing popularity of smartphone use has led to smartphone overuse and addiction. This review aims to systematically investigate the impact of smartphone addiction on health outcomes. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to carry out the systematic review. Five electronic databases including Medline, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus were searched to identify eligible studies. Eligible studies were screened against predetermined inclusion criteria and data were extracted according to the review questions. This review is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020181404). The quality of the articles was assessed using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results: A total of 27 of 2550 articles met the inclusion criteria. All of the studies were cross-sectional and focused on physical, mental, and neurological health outcomes. The majority of the studies focused on mental health outcomes and consistent associations were observed between smartphone addiction and several mental health outcomes. Anxiety and depression were commonly found to mediate mental health problems. A wide range of physical health sequelae was also associated with smartphone addiction. Furthermore, there was an association between smartphone addiction and neurological disorders. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there are consistent associations between smartphone addiction and physical and mental health, especially mental health. Social awareness campaigns about smartphone addiction and its impact on physical and mental health are needed. Further studies, especially randomized controlled trials, are warranted to validate the impacts of smartphone addiction.

Suggested Citation

  • Zubair Ahmed Ratan & Anne-Maree Parrish & Sojib Bin Zaman & Mohammad Saud Alotaibi & Hassan Hosseinzadeh, 2021. "Smartphone Addiction and Associated Health Outcomes in Adult Populations: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-17, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:22:p:12257-:d:685006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/22/12257/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/22/12257/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hsien-Yuan Lane & Chin-Jui Chang & Chieh-Liang Huang & Yun-Hsuan Chang, 2021. "An Investigation into Smartphone Addiction with Personality and Sleep Quality among University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-14, July.
    2. Min Kwon & Joon-Yeop Lee & Wang-Youn Won & Jae-Woo Park & Jung-Ah Min & Changtae Hahn & Xinyu Gu & Ji-Hye Choi & Dai-Jin Kim, 2013. "Development and Validation of a Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(2), pages 1-7, February.
    3. Yeon-Jin Kim & Hye Min Jang & Youngjo Lee & Donghwan Lee & Dai-Jin Kim, 2018. "Effects of Internet and Smartphone Addictions on Depression and Anxiety Based on Propensity Score Matching Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-10, April.
    4. Anna Maria Annoni & Serena Petrocchi & Anne-Linda Camerini & Laura Marciano, 2021. "The Relationship between Social Anxiety, Smartphone Use, Dispositional Trust, and Problematic Smartphone Use: A Moderated Mediation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-15, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Maria Lidia Mascia & Mirian Agus & Łukasz Tomczyk & Natale Salvatore Bonfiglio & Diego Bellini & Maria Pietronilla Penna, 2023. "Smartphone Distraction: Italian Validation of the Smartphone Distraction Scale (SDS)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(15), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Hsiu-Man Lin & Yu-Tzu Chang & Meng-Hsiang Chen & Shu-Tsen Liu & Bo-Shen Chen & Lin Li & Chiao-Yu Lee & Yu-Ru Sue & Tsai-Mei Sung & Cheuk-Kwan Sun & Pin-Yang Yeh, 2022. "Structural and Functional Neural Correlates in Individuals with Excessive Smartphone Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Marta Nowak & Kamila Rachubińska & Małgorzata Starczewska & Ewa Kupcewicz & Aleksandra Szylińska & Aneta Cymbaluk-Płoska & Elżbieta Grochans, 2022. "Correlations between Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Depressiveness and Daytime Sleepiness, as Well as Perceived Social Support in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-12, October.
    4. Mohsen Saffari & Jung-Sheng Chen & Hung-Ching Wu & Xavier C. C. Fung & Chih-Cheng Chang & Yen-Ling Chang & Ruckwongpatr Kamolthip & Marc N. Potenza & I-Ching Lin & Chung-Ying Lin, 2022. "Effects of Weight-Related Self-Stigma and Smartphone Addiction on Female University Students’ Physical Activity Levels," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-11, February.
    5. Mohammad Saud Alotaibi & Mim Fox & Robyn Coman & Zubair Ahmed Ratan & Hassan Hosseinzadeh, 2022. "Perspectives and Experiences of Smartphone Overuse among University Students in Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-21, April.
    6. Zubair Ahmed Ratan & Anne-Maree Parrish & Mohammad Saud Alotaibi & Hassan Hosseinzadeh, 2022. "Prevalence of Smartphone Addiction and Its Association with Sociodemographic, Physical and Mental Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study among the Young Adults of Bangladesh," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Mohammad Saud Alotaibi & Mim Fox & Robyn Coman & Zubair Ahmed Ratan & Hassan Hosseinzadeh, 2022. "Smartphone Addiction Prevalence and Its Association on Academic Performance, Physical Health, and Mental Well-Being among University Students in Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Saudi Arabia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-17, March.
    8. Livia Jonnatan & Cherisse L. Seaton & Kathy L. Rush & Eric P. H. Li & Khalad Hasan, 2022. "Mobile Device Usage before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Rural and Urban Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-17, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Qing Huang & Mingxin Hu & Hongliang Chen, 2021. "Exploring Stress and Problematic Use of Short-Form Video Applications among Middle-Aged Chinese Adults: The Mediating Roles of Duration of Use and Flow Experience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Yu-Hsuan Lin & Li-Ren Chang & Yang-Han Lee & Hsien-Wei Tseng & Terry B J Kuo & Sue-Huei Chen, 2014. "Development and Validation of the Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(6), pages 1-5, June.
    3. Tuğba Koç & Aykut Hamit Turan, 2021. "The Relationships Among Social Media Intensity, Smartphone Addiction, and Subjective Wellbeing of Turkish College Students," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(5), pages 1999-2021, October.
    4. Ashraf Sharif & Saira Hanif Soroya & Shakil Ahmad & Khalid Mahmood, 2021. "Antecedents of Self-Disclosure on Social Networking Sites (SNSs): A Study of Facebook Users," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Julia Sajewicz & Alicja Dziuba-Słonina, 2023. "Texting on a Smartphone While Walking Affects Gait Parameters," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-8, March.
    6. Simon Kloker, 2020. "Non-addictive Information Systems," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 549-562, June.
    7. Xian Liang & Hui Xiao & Fangmiao Hou & Xuan Guo & Lishan Li & Longjunjiang Huang, 2024. "Breaking the chains of poverty: examining the influence of smartphone usage on multidimensional poverty in rural settings," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    8. José-María Romero-Rodríguez & Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz & José-Antonio Marín-Marín & Rebeca Soler-Costa & Carmen Rodríguez-Jiménez, 2020. "Impact of Problematic Smartphone Use and Instagram Use Intensity on Self-Esteem with University Students from Physical Education," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-10, June.
    9. Md Shamimul Islam & Noorliza Karia & Mahmudul Hasan Fouji & Jamshed Khalid & Muhammad Khaleel & Firdaus Ahmad Fauzi, 2019. "Smartphone Addiction: Proposing Ethical Codes for Minimizing Addiction Risk at Academic Institutions," Journal of Business, LAR Center Press, vol. 4(1), pages 9-16, January.
    10. Nisreen Al Battashi & Omar Al Omari & Murad Sawalha & Safiya Al Maktoumi & Ahmed Alsuleitini & Mohammad Al Qadire, 2021. "The Relationship Between Smartphone Use, Insomnia, Stress, and Anxiety Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 30(6), pages 734-740, July.
    11. Amelia Rahayu & Tia Rahmania, 2022. "Loneliness During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Its Effect On The Trend Towards Smartphone Addiction In Early Adulthood Who Works From Home," Social Values & Society (SVS), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 4(1), pages 1-2, January.
    12. Zhitan Feng & Abdullah Al Mamun & Mohammad Masukujjaman & Qing Yang, 2023. "Modeling the significance of advertising values on online impulse buying behavior," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, December.
    13. Youlai Zeng & Jiahui Zhang & Jiaxin Wei & Shunyu Li, 2022. "The Impact of Undergraduates’ Social Isolation on Smartphone Addiction: The Roles of Academic Anxiety and Social Media Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-16, November.
    14. Sulki Chung & Jaekyoung Lee & Hae Kook Lee, 2019. "Personal Factors, Internet Characteristics, and Environmental Factors Contributing to Adolescent Internet Addiction: A Public Health Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-16, November.
    15. Aleksandra Nikolic & Bojana Bukurov & Ilija Kocic & Ivan Soldatovic & Sladjana Mihajlovic & Dejan Nesic & Milica Vukovic & Nikola Ladjevic & Sandra Sipetic Grujicic, 2022. "The Validity and Reliability of the Serbian Version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale—Short Version," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-11, January.
    16. Amelia Rahayu & Tia Rahmania, 2022. "Loneliness During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Its Effect On The Trend Towards Smartphone Addiction In Early Adulthood Who Works From Home," Social Values & Society (SVS), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 4(1), pages 1-2, January.
    17. Julia Machado Khoury & André Augusto Corrêa de Freitas & Marco Antônio Valente Roque & Maicon Rodrigues Albuquerque & Maila de Castro Lourenço das Neves & Frederico Duarte Garcia, 2017. "Assessment of the accuracy of a new tool for the screening of smartphone addiction," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(5), pages 1-13, May.
    18. So-Young Park & Sonam Yang & Chang-Sik Shin & Hyunseok Jang & So-Youn Park, 2019. "Long-Term Symptoms of Mobile Phone Use on Mobile Phone Addiction and Depression Among Korean Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-11, September.
    19. Buctot, Danilo B. & Kim, Nami & Kim, Jinsoo Jason, 2020. "Factors associated with smartphone addiction prevalence and its predictive capacity for health-related quality of life among Filipino adolescents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    20. Eunsun Choi & Namje Park, 2021. "Can Online Education Programs Solve the Cyberbullying Problem? Educating South Korean Elementary Students in the COVID-19 Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-15, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:22:p:12257-:d:685006. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.