Problematic mobile phone use and sleep quality in medical students: A cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53685/jshmdc.v6i2.262Keywords:
Mobile Phone, Students, Medical, Sleep, Sleep QualityAbstract
Background: Mobile phone usage has increased significantly, with estimates of more than 1.5 billion users worldwide.
Objective: To assess the level of problematic mobile phone use and its association with sleep quality among medical students.
Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted at Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore, from August 2021 to February 2022. Medical students in the MBBS program who were using a mobile (smart) phone between 21 and 23 years of age, male or female and involved in clinical rotations were included in the study. A convenience sampling technique was used. A structured questionnaire was administered, comprising demographic data, the Problematic Use of Mobile Phones (PUMP) scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data was analyzed using SPSS 21. The Chi-square test was used to examine the associations between PUMP and PSQI.
Results: Out of the 256 participants, 181 (71%) scored <62 on the PUMP scale, indicating non-problematic mobile phone use. In contrast, 75 students (29.3%) had PUMP scores ≥62 and were classified as problematic mobile phone users with a statistically significant difference in PUMP scores between problematic and non-problematic users (p < 0.001). Regarding sleep quality, 163 participants (63.6%) had a PSQI score above 5, reflecting poor sleep quality, whereas 93 (36.3%) demonstrated good sleep quality. Problematic mobile phone use did not differ significantly across demographic groups, while sleep quality differed significantly by residence, with poorer sleep quality observed among hostel residents (p = 0.037). The association between PUMP and PSQI was statistically non-significant (p = 0.134).
Conclusion: It was concluded that problematic mobile phone use was not associated with poor sleep quality among medical students.
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