Effect of Electronic Device Addiction on Sleep Quality and Academic Performance Among Health Care Students: Cross-sectional Study

Sultan Qanash; Faisal Al-Husayni; Haneen Falata; Ohud Halawani; Enas Jahra; Boshra Murshed; Faris Alhejaili; Ala'a Ghabashi; Hashem Alhashmi

doi:10.2196/25662

Effect of Electronic Device Addiction on Sleep Quality and Academic Performance Among Health Care Students: Cross-sectional Study

JMIR Med Educ. 2021 Oct 6;7(4):e25662. doi: 10.2196/25662.

Authors

Sultan Qanash^{1

2

3}, Faisal Al-Husayni^{2

3}, Haneen Falata⁴, Ohud Halawani⁴, Enas Jahra⁴, Boshra Murshed⁴, Faris Alhejaili⁵, Ala'a Ghabashi^{1

2

3}, Hashem Alhashmi^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Internal Medicine, National Guard Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
³ College of Medicine, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Sleep Medicine and Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

PMID: 34612827
PMCID: PMC8529471
DOI: 10.2196/25662

Abstract

Background: Sleep quality ensures better physical and psychological well-being. It is regulated through endogenous hemostatic, neurogenic, and circadian processes. Nonetheless, environmental and behavioral factors also play a role in sleep hygiene. Electronic device use is increasing rapidly and has been linked to many adverse effects, raising public health concerns.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of electronic device addiction on sleep quality and academic performance among health care students in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from June to December 2019 at 3 universities in Jeddah. Of the 1000 students contacted, 608 students from 5 health sciences disciplines completed the questionnaires. The following outcome measures were used: Smartphone Addiction Scale for Adolescents-short version (SAS-SV), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and grade point average (GPA).

Results: The median age of participants was 21 years, with 71.9% (437/608) being female. Almost all of the cohort used smartphones, and 75.0% (456/608) of them always use them at bedtime. Half of the students (53%) have poor sleep quality, while 32% are addicted to smartphone use. Using multivariable logistic regression, addiction to smartphones (SAS-SV score >31 males and >33 females) was significantly associated with poor sleep quality (PSQI >5) with an odds ratio of 1.8 (1.2-2.7). In addition, male gender and older students (age ≥21 years) were significantly associated with lower GPA (<4.5), with an odds ratio of 1.6 (1.1-2.3) and 2.3 (1.5-3.6), respectively; however, addiction to smartphones and poor sleep quality were not significantly associated with a lower GPA.

Conclusions: Electronic device addiction is associated with increased risk for poor sleep quality; however, electronic device addiction and poor sleep quality are not associated with increased risk for a lower GPA.

Keywords: academic performance; addiction; electronic devices; grade point average; health care students; medical education; screen time; sleep; sleep quality; student performance; well-being.

©Sultan Qanash, Faisal Al-Husayni, Haneen Falata, Ohud Halawani, Enas Jahra, Boshra Murshed, Faris Alhejaili, Ala’a Ghabashi, Hashem Alhashmi. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (https://mededu.jmir.org), 06.10.2021.