ArticleChild: care, health and development2026
Screen Time, Fatigue, Obesity and Physical Inactivity: Health Correlates of Problematic Smartphone Use in Adolescents.
Article in Child: care, health and development, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Predictors of sedentary behaviour in adults: the role of social media addiction and physical activity - a cross-sectional study from Turkey.Journal of global health · 2026Article
- Screen Time, Fatigue, Obesity and Physical Inactivity: Health Correlates of Problematic Smartphone Use in Adolescents.Child: care, health and development · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study aimed to determine the prevalence of problematic smartphone use (PSU) among Tunisian adolescents, examine variations by sex and age and investigate associations with physical activity, fatigue and obesity while assessing the potential protective role of sports participation.
methodsA cross-sectional study of 960 adolescents (53% female), aged 14-16 years utilized validated Arabic instruments including the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) and Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS). Anthropometric measurements followed WHO protocols, and objective screen time data were collected from device tracking features. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, Spearman's correlations and logistic regression models with sex stratification, all adjusted for multiple comparisons using Benjamini-Hochberg correction.
resultsPSU prevalence was 15.7%, with significantly higher rates in males (p < 0.001) and during mid-adolescence (p < 0.001). Adolescents with PSU showed substantially higher screen time (435 vs. 155 min/day, p < 0.001), reduced vigorous physical activity (0 vs. 480 MET-min/week, p < 0.001), increased obesity (12.6% vs. 0.7%, p < 0.001) and more severe fatigue (50.3% vs. 5.8%, p < 0.001). Sports participation demonstrated protective effects against PSU (OR = 0.4-0.6), with significantly stronger effects in females (interaction p = 0.03).
conclusionPSU represents a significant public health concern among Tunisian adolescents, with a prevalence of 15.7% that is higher in males and mid-adolescents. It is associated with excessive screen time, inactivity, elevated BMI and fatigue, whereas sports participation offers a protective effect, particularly among girls.
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