The Evaluation of the Relation Between Smartphone Addiction and Eating Attitudes among Medical Students

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between smartphone addiction and demographical characteristics, eating attitudes, and body mass index of medical students. Methods: The data was obtained through personal questionnaires, the scales regarding eating attitudes and smartphone addiction. The questionnaire and the scales were carried out online among current medical students of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University. Results: Of the participants (n=347), 59.9% were female,40.1% were male. Participants were found to use internet mostly through their smartphones and they were also found to use their smartphones mostly for messaging and monitoring social media. The scores for the Smartphone Addiction Scale were found to be significantly higher in students who were using their smartphones for social media than those who were not. A weak, positive, and significant relationship was found between the scores of the Smartphone Addiction Scale and Eating Attitudes Test of the students (r=0.135,p=0.12). As a result of the correlation analysis, a very weak, positive and significant relationship was found between Body Mass Index and the age of owning the first smartphone (r=0.113, p=0.036). Conclusion: We reported a relation between the intentions of using a smartphone and smartphone addiction and another relation between one’s age of owning the first smartphone and these individuals’ body mass indexes. A difference was observed between those who have abnormal eating attitudes and who have not regarding smartphone addiction scale scores.