The relationship between smartphone addiction and psychological distress, quality of life and sleep quality among university students

Background. Medical students who sleep less due to smartphone use can experience serious health effects, which negatively affect their studies. This study was designed to explore the correlation between phone addiction and psychological distress, quality of life, and quality of sleep among applied medical sciences students. Methodology. This study was applied to 121 medical students of the University of Hail using a Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Short Form-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) from February to May 2024. Results. The mean age of the students was 22.9 ± 4.7. Male students were 88, representing 72.7% of the entire sample, while the female students were 33, representing 27.3%. The correlation analysis proved a positive relation between SAS-SV and K10, poor quality of life, and poor sleep quality; additionally, the regression model demonstrated a high degree of prediction, it displayed a higher level (R = 0.672) for SAS-SV, and R2 was 0.593. Conclusion. Smartphone addiction raises the risk of health problems, psychological problems, and sleep-related problems for students in medical colleges.