Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
197,768 studies31 sourcesUpdated 15 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDBMC public health

Smartphone addiction screening status and associated physical and neuropsychological symptoms among Syrian university students: a cross-sectional study.

  • Farah Abou Kheir1
  • Aref Jalal Eldin2
  • Ali Hmidoush2
  • Amal Mahfoud2
  • Rawan Alhaj Hosen3
  • Mais Alsoud4
  • Mohamad Barakat4
  • Mustafa Zakkar5,6,7
  • Ibrahim Antoun8,9,10
10 affiliations
  1. 1Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic. [email protected].
  2. 2Faculty of Medicine, Latakia University, Latakia, Syrian Arab Republic.
  3. 3Faculty of Medicine, Al Andalus University for Medical Sciences, Tartus, Al Qadmus, Syrian Arab Republic.
  4. 4Faculty of Medicine, Aleppo University, Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic.
  5. 5Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Clinical Science Wing, University of Leicester, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, LE3 9QP, UK.
  6. 6Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK.
  7. 7Leicester British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK.
  8. 8Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Clinical Science Wing, University of Leicester, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, LE3 9QP, UK. [email protected].
  9. 9Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK. [email protected].
  10. 10Department of Cardiology, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK. [email protected].
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Background

Smartphone addiction (SPA) has emerged as a growing public health concern, especially among university students, due to long usage times and the possibility of being affected both physically and neuropsychologically. With little research on these connections in the literature, this study bridges the gap by examining these associations within a single framework in Syria.Methods

A cross-sectional online survey in Arabic was conducted to determine the prevalence and associations of SPA among Syrian university students, using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). Self-reported instruments assessed neck pain, ocular complaints, fatigue, cognitive failures, and ADHD-related symptoms using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), and Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), respectively. Data were collected via Google Forms from November to December 2025.Results

Of 1024 participants, 59% were females, 63.6% were students in the medical field, and 60.6% met the criteria for SPA. After adjustment, SPA was associated with higher odds of dry eye symptoms (aOR = 2.78; 95% CI, 2.08-3.71; p < 0.001), neck pain-related disability (aOR = 1.97; 95% CI, 1.38-2.81; p < 0.001), fatigue (aOR = 4.08; 95% CI, 3.03-5.50; p < 0.001), as well as higher cognitive failure scores (β = 5.95; 95% CI, 4.60-7.31; p < 0.001) and higher likelihood of exceeding ADHD screening cut-off (aOR = 4.30; 95% CI, 3.17-5.82; p < 0.001).Conclusion

SPA screening status was associated with a higher burden of physical and neuropsychological symptoms among university students. These cross-sectional associations support public health strategies that promote healthier digital behaviours.

Related

  1. The relationship between smartphone addiction, Mediterranean diet adherence, body composition, and quality of life among university students: a cross-sectional study
    Çağlar Akçalı, Mehmet Özyurt, Aziz Korkmaz
    BMC Public HealthPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Epidemiology & public healthCrossref
  2. Smartphone addiction and self-esteem among university students: a moderated mediation and latent profile analysis.
    Shiyu Zhang, Xiao Zhang, Siyu Yuan +2
    Frontiers in psychiatryPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textPsychiatry & mental healthEurope PMC
  3. Investigation of Smartphone Addiction as a Potential Mediator of the Cross-Sectional Associations Between Body Image, Physical Activity, and Eating Disorders Among University Participants.
    Mohammad Ahsan, Bijad S Alqahtani
    Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textPsychiatry & mental healthEurope PMC
  4. Behavioral Smartphone Orientation Is Associated with Upper Limb Dysfunction Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
    Iga Szukalska, Agnieszka Kempinska-Podhorodecka, Małgorzata Szczuko
    Journal of Clinical MedicinePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textGeneral medicineCrossrefEurope PMC
  5. Smartphone addiction, physical activity engagement, and sleep quality in Chinese adolescents: a parallel and serial mediation model
    Weidong Zuo, Bing Zhang
    Frontiers in psychiatryPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textPsychiatry & mental healthEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{kheir2026smartphone,
  title = {{Smartphone addiction screening status and associated physical and neuropsychological symptoms among Syrian university students: a cross-sectional study.}},
  author = {Farah Abou Kheir and Aref Jalal Eldin and Ali Hmidoush and Amal Mahfoud and Rawan Alhaj Hosen and Mais Alsoud and Mohamad Barakat and Mustafa Zakkar and Ibrahim Antoun},
  journal = {BMC public health},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28883-z},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968075},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Smartphone addiction screening status and associated physical and neuropsychological symptoms among Syrian university students: a cross-sectional study.
AU  - Farah Abou Kheir
AU  - Aref Jalal Eldin
AU  - Ali Hmidoush
AU  - Amal Mahfoud
AU  - Rawan Alhaj Hosen
AU  - Mais Alsoud
AU  - Mohamad Barakat
AU  - Mustafa Zakkar
AU  - Ibrahim Antoun
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/04
JO  - BMC public health
DO  - 10.1186/s12889-026-28883-z
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968075
AB  - Background  Smartphone addiction (SPA) has emerged as a growing public health concern, especially among university students, due to long usage times and the possibility of being affected both physically and neuropsychologically. With little research on these connections in the literature, this study bridges the gap by examining these associations within a single framework in Syria.Methods  A cross-sectional online survey in Arabic was conducted to determine the prevalence and associations of SPA among Syrian university students, using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). Self-reported instruments assessed neck pain, ocular complaints, fatigue, cognitive failures, and ADHD-related symptoms using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), and Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), respectively. Data were collected via Google Forms from November to December 2025.Results  Of 1024 participants, 59% were females, 63.6% were students in the medical field, and 60.6% met the criteria for SPA. After adjustment, SPA was associated with higher odds of dry eye symptoms (aOR = 2.78; 95% CI, 2.08-3.71; p < 0.001), neck pain-related disability (aOR = 1.97; 95% CI, 1.38-2.81; p < 0.001), fatigue (aOR = 4.08; 95% CI, 3.03-5.50; p < 0.001), as well as higher cognitive failure scores (β = 5.95; 95% CI, 4.60-7.31; p < 0.001) and higher likelihood of exceeding ADHD screening cut-off (aOR = 4.30; 95% CI, 3.17-5.82; p < 0.001).Conclusion  SPA screening status was associated with a higher burden of physical and neuropsychological symptoms among university students. These cross-sectional associations support public health strategies that promote healthier digital behaviours.
SN  - 1471-2458
ER  -