Smartphone Use and Physical Activity among College Students in Health Science-Related Majors in the United States and Thailand.

Nattika Penglee,Richard W Christiana,Rebecca A Battista,Ed Rosenberg

doi:10.3390/ijerph16081315

Abstract

Smartphone use among college students is prevalent across the world. Recently, research has begun to investigate the relationship between smartphone use and physical activity. This study examined the amount of time spent using a smartphone and the physical activity (PA) levels among college students majoring in health science-related disciplines in the United States (US) and Thailand. Using convenience sampling, college students in the US (n = 242) and Thailand (n = 194) completed an online survey, in Fall 2016, assessing smartphone usage and PA. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and two-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). US students reported more days per week () and greater duration of PA () than Thai students while Thai students used smartphones more per day than US students (). No difference existed for years of smartphone use (). Greater smartphone use per day inversely related to days per week of engaging in PA among Thai students (), but not among US students (). The high smartphone use among college students, especially in Thailand, may be a barrier to PA as well as a strategy for PA promotion in higher education settings. Research should examine the best techniques for smartphone application development to promote PA in college settings.

Highlights

Physical activity has long been recognized as a key dimension of a healthy lifestyle [1]
Greater smartphone use per day inversely related to days per week of engaging in physical activity (PA) among Thai students (X2 (3) = 10.55, p = 0.01, ε2 = 0.06), but not among
Reasons for concern over the increased use of smartphones in college students relate to previous suggestions that sedentary behaviors in children and youth were associated with increased body fat percentage, decreased fitness and low self-esteem [22]

Summary

Introduction

Physical activity has long been recognized as a key dimension of a healthy lifestyle [1]. Research has provided strong evidence that continually engaging in recommended levels of physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits [2,3]. These include reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type II diabetes, certain types of cancer, and reduced symptoms of depression. Despite the increasing efforts of public health professionals, the levels of physical activity among children and adults in the United States (US) and Thailand remain low [4,5,6,7].

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion