Academic Procrastination and Smartphone Addiction Among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study from Turkey

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the association between smartphone addiction and academic procrastination among medical students and to explore related sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Background: Academic procrastination refers to the deliberate postponement of academic tasks despite the potential negative consequences. It is frequently encountered among medical students due to their intense workload, high stress levels, and long training periods. This study investigates the prevalence of academic procrastination and smartphone addiction, examining the sociodemographic and behavioral factors associated with this prevalence. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine between March and June 2024 with 1212 students. Data were collected via supervised, self-administered paper questionnaires administered during lecture hours, including a sociodemographic form, the Aitken Procrastination Inventory (API), and the Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version (SAS-SV). Analyses comprised independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and correlation tests; p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.69 ± 2.27, and the ages ranged from 18 to 30. The API score of male students (44.88 ± 8.34) was significantly higher than that of female students (42.13 ± 9.66) (p < 0.001). The smartphone addiction rate in males is 51.2%, higher than that of females (p < 0.001). Year 1 students had the highest addiction rate (57.2%, p < 0.001). The API scores of students who used alcohol (46.91 ± 8.99) or smoked cigarettes (46.68 ± 8.78) were significantly higher than that of non-users (p < 0.001). Students with smartphone addiction had significantly higher API scores (46.70 ± 8.00) compared to students without addiction (40.47 ± 9.20, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Among medical students, smartphone addiction scores were significantly associated with academic procrastination. Condensed abstract: In this cross-sectional study of 1212 medical students, smartphone addiction was associated with higher academic procrastination. Procrastination was also higher in males and in students who reported alcohol use or smoking, and may be influenced by other factors. Smartphone addiction severity showed a moderate correlation with procrastination.