ArticleBMC public health2023
Is excessive smartphone use associated with weight status and self-rated health among youth? A smart platform study.
Article in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed.
- The Mediating Effect of Smartphone Distraction Between Nomophobia and Intuitive Eating Among Lebanese Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Article
- MOVE@NUS digital intervention cohort: protocol of a pilot study to promote healthy movement in university students.Journal of activity, sedentary and sleep behaviors · 2026Article
- Associations of smartphone, computer, and television use with insufficient sleep duration and overweight/obesity among lithuanian adolescents: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Article
- The Impact of Internet and Mobile Phone Usage and Unemployment on Adult Obesity: Empirical Evidence from the BRICS States.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Digital habits and physical health: a study of screen time and BMI among young healthcare profession students and residents.Irish journal of medical science · 2025Article
- The Association Between Recreational Cannabis Use and 24-hour Movement Behaviours: Perceptions of Youth Citizen Scientists.Journal of adolescence · 2025Article
- Digital citizen science for ethical monitoring of youth physical activity frequency: Comparing mobile ecological prospective assessments and retrospective recall.PLOS digital health · 2025Article
- Associations between Smartphone Usage with Upper-Body Abnormalities, Obesity, Mental Wellbeing and Physical Fitness of High-School Male Students.International journal of school health · 2025Article
- How can digital citizen science approaches improve ethical smartphone use surveillance among youth: Traditional surveys versus ecological momentary assessments.PLOS digital health · 2024Article
- Self-reported and tracked nighttime smartphone use and their association with overweight and cardiometabolic risk markers.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Prevalence of mental health symptoms and potential risk factors among Austrian psychotherapists.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Primary school children's health and its association with physical fitness development and health-related factors.AIMS public health · 2024Article
- Assessment of Step Tracker Mobile Applications for the Promotion of Physical Activity by Adolescents Based on Their Weight Status.International journal of telemedicine and applications · 2024Article
- Nomophobia and Its Association with Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS Scale), among Young Adults in Greece.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2023Article
- Prevalence of mental health symptoms and potential risk factors among Austrian veterinary medicine students.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Prevalence of Smartphone Addiction and its Relationship with Obesity among Young Adults: A Cross-sectional Study from Delhi, India.Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social MedicineArticle
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn Canada, it is recommended that youth limit screen time to less than two hours per day, yet, the majority of youth are reportedly spending a significantly higher amount of time in front of a screen. This is particularly concerning given that these recommendations do not take into account smartphone devices, which is the most common screen time technology of choice for the younger generations. This study implements an innovative approach to understanding screen time behavior and aims to investigate the unique relationship between smartphone specific screen time and physical health outcomes.
methodsThis cross-sectional study is part of the Smart Platform, a digital epidemiological and citizen science initiative. 436 youth citizen scientists, aged 13-21 years, provided all data via their own smartphones using a custom-built smartphone application. Participants completed a 124-item baseline questionnaire which included validated self-report surveys adapted to collect data specifically on smartphone use (internet use, gaming, and texting), demographic characteristics, and physical health outcomes such as weight status and self-rated health. Binary regression models determined the relationship between smartphone use and physical health outcomes.
resultsOverall participants reported excessive smartphone use in all categories. 11.4% and 12% of the 436 youth participants reported using their smartphone excessively (greater than 2 h per day) during the week and weekend respectively for gaming and were over 2 times more likely than their peers to fall within an overweight/obese BMI status. Excessive weekend gaming was also associated with self-rated health where participants were over 2 times more likely than their peers to report poor self-rated health.
conclusionsThe results indicate that excessive screen time on smartphones does have complex associations with youth health. Further investigation with more robust study designs is needed to inform smartphone-specific screen time guidelines for youth.
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