Impact of mobile usage among Phase 1 medical undergraduates: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Mobile phone usage has dramatically expanded over the past 10 years, especially among students. Because smart mobile phones have nearly all the additional capabilities of personal digital aid, including desktop synchronization, access to email, internet surfing, and third-party applications, they have become an alternative to portable computers. At the same time, excessive use of mobile phones has negatively impacted their perceived health, resulting in symptoms such as fatigue, stress, headaches, difficulty focusing, and a negative impact on their academic performance. The present study was conducted in this context to observe the effects of mobile usage among Phase 1 medical undergraduates. Aims and Objectives: The aims and objectives are to study the impacts of mobile usage among Phase 1 medical undergraduates and to explore the change in attitudes, evaluate the addiction, and assess the effects of mobile usage among medical undergraduates. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted after obtaining ethics committee approval and consent from 250 phase 1 medical undergraduates from February 2024 to March 2024. Data were collected using a predesigned, pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. The analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software, version 26.0. Results: Of the 250 undergraduates, the majority (68.4%) were females, and 73.2% were hostlers. Daily time spent on mobile usage was >4 h among 42.4% of undergraduates. Among the undergraduates, 81.2% used mobiles for calling family members, 80.4% for WhatsApp, and 75.6% for study purposes. Self-perception of mobile addiction was reported by 36.5% of undergraduates. Headaches and dry eyes were the most commonly experienced effects due to excessive usage of their mobile devices. Conclusion: Mobile phone addiction is increasing among medical undergraduates, which has to be addressed with proper counseling to prevent further addiction and curtail the adverse effects of mobile addiction.