Abstract:

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of smartphone addiction and related factors in Mersin University Faculty of Medicine students. Method: The population of this cross-sectional study consists of 1581 students studying at the faculty of medicine in the 2021-2022 academic year. The minimum sample size was calculated as 436 and 442 people were included in the study. The distribution was made by weighting according to the classes. The students to be taken from the classes were selected from the student list by systematic sampling method. The Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form was used to detect smartphone addiction. Descriptive statistics, chi-square significance test, continuous Mann-Whitney U and logistic regression tests were used in the analysis of the data. The statistical significance level was accepted as p≤0.05. Results: 442 students with a mean age of 21.5±2.4 years participated in the study. According to the results of the scale, it was determined that 215 (48.6%) of the students were addicted to smartphones. Smartphone addiction; It was determined that students' thinking of themselves as smart phone addicts increased 13.5 times (p<0.001) and 2.8 times (p=0.013) if their parents were not alive and together. It was determined that the increase in the student's age and school success score decreased the risk of being addicted to smartphones, while the increase in the number of siblings increased the risk (p<0.05). Conclusion: It has been determined that approximately half of the medical faculty students in Mersin are addicted to smartphones. It is recommended to inform students about the correct use of the smartphone device, as well as the dangerous effects of addiction on human health and behavior and its ultimate consequences on society.

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