The Dilemma of Mobile Phone Overuse: Findings from a Quasi-Experimental Study on a Cohort of Pakistani Adolescents

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the change in knowledge and practices after providing awareness session on mobile phone usage to school-going adolescents. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was employed to conduct a study at three private schools of Karachi from March - May 2019. School going adolescents between 13 to 16 years who were using smartphones were assessed on the predictive factors of smartphone addiction like excessively calling their friends and the length of their calls. Additionally frequency of mobile phone use and knowledge regarding its adverse effects on health and their dependency were also enquired. Results: Of 385 students, 331 (86%) students used their mobile phones excessively to call their friends and classmates which significantly reduced to 276 (71.7%) after the intervention (p-value < 0.001). Average length of each call per day before the intervention was 5.68 ± 0.13 minutes which significantly declined to 4.92 ± 0.92 minutes (p- value <0.001). Before the intervention, 108 (28.1%) students thought that mobile phones have a negative health impact which was increased afterwards to 327 (84.9%) (p-value 0.021). Furthermore, 193 (50.1%) students believed that they are dependent on their mobile phones which after the intervention significantly decreased to 120 (31.2%) (p-value <0.001). Conclusion: Positive effects of intervention like awareness session were seen on mobile phone use among adolescents. Conducting such sessions periodically among schools can lessen the usage and addiction of smartphones.