Association between Smartphone Screen Time and Smartphone Addiction Risk among Preclinical Medical Students in Sarawak, Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: The digital transformation of medical education has increased reliance on smartphones for learning, making them indispensable for preclinical medical students. This shift raises concerns about the association between prolonged screen time and smartphone addiction risk. However, this association among preclinical medical students in Sarawak, Malaysia, remains underexplored. Aim/Purpose/Objective: To determine the association between smartphone screen time and the risk of smartphone addiction among preclinical medical students. Method: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 108 preclinical medical students (Years one and two) at a public medical school in Sarawak from January 2023 to January 2024. Simple random sampling was employed. Participants provided their daily screen time using the built-in “screen time” tab on their smartphones, with excessive screen time defined as more than six hours per day. Addiction risk was assessed using the validated Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). The SAS-SV consists of 10 items, yielding an overall score ranging from 10-60. The higher the score, the greater the risk of addiction to smartphones, with a cut-off point of 33. The prevalence of excessive screen time and smartphone addiction risk were described in percentages, and the Chi-square statistical analysis was used to determine their association. Results: Among the 108 participants, 78.7% reported daily screen time of more than six hours (excessive daily screen time), while 21.3% reported six hours or less. 65.9% of participants with excessive daily screen time were at risk of smartphone addiction, compared to 56.5% of students with six hours or less. However, statistical analysis showed no significant association between screen time and smartphone addiction risk (p=0.41). Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of excessive daily smartphone screen time and smartphone addiction risk among preclinical medical students, but no significant association between the two. Further research is needed to identify other contributing factors to smartphone addiction risk and develop effective interventions. Keywords: Digital; smartphone; addiction risk; preclinical medical students