ArticleThe Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association2024
Cyberchondria and smartphone addiction: A correlation survey among undergraduate medical students in Egypt.
Article in The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Psychological "effects" of digital technology: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Association between behavioral addiction and psychological disorders among medical students in Egypt, Sudan, and Libya: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Article
- Cyberchondria, Health Anxiety, and Sleep Quality: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study of Adults with and Without Psychosomatic Disorders.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Trends in the Implementation of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale: Bibliometric Analysis.JMIR mental health · 2026Article
- Prevalence and Associated Factors of Cyberchondria: A Scoping Review.TheScientificWorldJournal · 2026Article
- Impact of Cyberchondria on Health and Quality of Life: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Analysis of relationship between cyberchondria levels and oral health in dental patients.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- The Impact of Technostress Generated by Artificial Intelligence on the Quality of Life: The Mediating Role of Positive and Negative Affect.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The Relationship Between E-Health Literacy, Health Anxiety, Cyberchondria, and Death Anxiety in University Students That Study in Health Related Department.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2025Article
- Association between internet addiction and sleep quality in medical students: a longitudinal study.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- The relationship between cyberchondria and health literacy among first-year nursing students: the mediating effect of health anxiety.BMC nursing · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere is an increase in smartphone usage globally. Cyberchondria (CYB) is characterized by excessive Internet searches for health information. Smartphone addiction is constantly rising among medical students together with CYB as a collateral emerging risk, yet there is limited research available on the topic.
methodsThis cross-sectional study explores the rising phenomenon of smartphone addiction and its potential role in CYB among medical students in seven Egyptian universities. A total of 1435 medical students participated in completing online questionnaires that assessed smartphone addiction and CYB using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) and Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12). Multivariable regression analysis was applied to assess predictors of smartphone addiction and CYB.
resultsBased on the used scales, 57.6% of students were suffering from smartphone addiction, and 85.8% exhibited a moderate degree of CYB. There was a significant positive correlation between smartphone addiction scores and CYB (p < 0.05). The multivariable regression models revealed that four factors including using Facebook, using WhatsApp, increasing time spent on the Internet per day, and a higher CYB score increase the probability of smartphone addiction. The factors that increase the probability of CYB are using Facebook, an increase in the frequency of Internet searches, a higher degree of worry about one's health or a family member's health, and being a smartphone addict.
conclusionSmartphone addiction among undergraduate medical students is prevalent. Social media use, time spent online, and smartphone addiction were linked with the risk of CYB. Regular physical activity decreases the probability of smartphone addiction. Awareness programs and increased mental and physical activities are required to help reduce smartphone addiction among youth.
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