Prevalence of smartphone addiction and its effects on subhealth and insomnia: a cross-sectional study among medical students

Objective This study aimed to assess Chinese medical students' smartphone addiction and its effects on subhealth and insomnia. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 14, 2020 to November 14, 2020 by administering an online questionnaire to Wannan Medical College students. Results Of 2741 students who completed the survey, 1,447 (52.8%) had smartphone addiction. Medical specialty (p = 0.004), alcohol consumption (p = 0.001), smartphone use in bed (p = 0.000), depression (p = 0.000) and anxiety (p = 0.000) were strongly associated with smartphone addiction. The impacts of smartphone addiction on subhealth (p = 0.000) and insomnia (p = 0.000) were significant. Conclusion This survey shows that the smartphone addiction detection rate among medical students was 52.8%. Students who did not like their medical specialty, consumed alcohol, used their smartphones in bed, and suffered from depression and anxiety had a higher smartphone addiction detection rate. The subhealth and insomnia of medical students are adversely associated with smartphone addiction.