Factors Influencing Smartphone Screen Time among Korean Adolescents: Insights from the Korea Youth Health Behavior Survey

Abstract

Background: This study is a secondary analysis aimed at identifying risk factors for smartphone overuse among adolescents, utilizing data from the 18th Korea Youth Health Behavior Survey (KYHBS) conducted in 2022.

Methods: A total of 50,071 participants were included, with schools selected through a stratified proportional allocation method that considered factors such as city/province, city size, and school type. Students were excluded from the survey if they had long-term absences, were special needs children unable to participate in the survey, or had reading disabilities. The survey encompassed students from the first year of middle school to the third year of high school across 800 schools nationwide.

Results: Several factors were significantly associated with increased smartphone screen time, including gender, education level, academic performance, economic condition, BMI, self-reported health, feelings of aloneness, insufficient sleep, breakfast consumption, fast food intake frequency, late-night meals, physical activity, current smoking, current alcohol consumption, and sexual experience.

Conclusion: These results underscore the complex interplay of various factors shaping adolescents' smartphone use patterns. Recognizing and addressing these factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions aimed at promoting healthier screen habits and mitigating the negative impacts of excessive smartphone use among adolescents. These findings underscore the complex interplay of various demographic, behavioral, and health-related factors that contribute to adolescents' smartphone use patterns.