ArticleBMC public health2024
Smartphone addiction prevalence, patterns of use, and experienced musculoskeletal discomfort during the COVID-19 pandemic in a general Iranian population.
Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Smartphone addiction and metabolic health risk in pediatrics.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Review
- Is there a relationship between smartphone addiction and cyber dating abuse among nursing students?BMC nursing · 2026Article
- Psychometric evaluation of the Perceived Parental Phubbing Scale (PPPS) among Iranian university students: associations with psychosocial factors and group differences.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Gender differences in the prevalence and association between smartphone addiction and musculoskeletal disorders among vocational school students in Shanghai.Preventive medicine reports · 2025Article
- Smartphone addiction and its association with accident risk in Iranian adults.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Effect of Smartphone Use on Musculoskeletal Pain Among Healthcare Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study.Sisli Etfal Hastanesi tip bulteni · 2025Article
- The influence of educational intervention, according to ergonomic principles on neck and shoulder disability and pain indices relevant to smartphones, among students.Journal of education and health promotion · 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
- Smartphone addiction in Iranian schoolchildren: a population-based study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
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Abstract
backgroundSmartphone usage is an essential everyday tool in Iran, however problematic use has escalated and become a concern for the Iranian health policy system, particularly during and following the COVID-19 Pandemic. This study's aim was investigation of the prevalence of smartphone addiction, patterns of use, and the relationship to specific demographic characteristics and associated musculoskeletal disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsA descriptive-analytical correlational study recruited participants from a population of convenience (n = 2344) who were smartphone owners with > 1 year of use. For demographic information an electronic self-report questionnaire collected age, sex, marital status, usage for daily hours, and patterns. To assess addiction levels, the 'Smartphone Addiction Scale-short version' (SAS-SV) patient-reported outcome measure was used (cut-off = 31). For experienced discomfort, the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (ENMQ) was used.
resultsThe participants (female = 66.6%, n = 1561, mean age = 29.07 ± 12.34 years, range 6-60 years) smartphone use averaged 5.75 ± 3.44 h/day. The general prevalence of smartphone addiction was 46.16% (females = 46.06%, males = 46.36%; married = 44.5%, single = 47.63%). School students had the greatest addiction (53.2%) and those with a higher education to or above a Master's degree were the lowest (39.38%). The highest pattern of use was for social networks at 89.1% of participants (female = 88.34%, male = 90.54%). The areas of highest reported discomfort were the eyes (43.5%) and neck (43.3%). A significant correlation was found between smartphone addiction and hours of daily usage, and the amount of usage increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
conclusionA high level of smartphone addiction in the Iranian population was found to have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those most affected were unmarried individuals and school students, with the predominant areas being the eyes and neck. Health decision-makers should consider these findings when developing recommendations and plans for public health, particularly those focused on students.
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