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27-Apr-2016
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Arch Hellen Med, 33(3), May-June 2016, 355-367 ORIGINAL PAPER The effect of dependence on mobile phones and computers on the lifestyle S. Tahtsidou,1 T. Î’ellali,2 V. Alikari,1 A.P. Rohas-Hil,1 G. Panoutsopoulos,1 J. Stathoulis,1 S. Zyga1 |
OBJECTIVE To determine the degree of dependence of the students of nursing at the University of the Peloponnese on mobile telephones and computers in relation to their health and health behaviors.
METHOD A convenience sample was selected from the students of nursing at the University of the Peloponnese. Data were collected using a health behaviors questionnaire, the Mobile Phone Dependence Questionnaire (MPDQ-2004) and the Adolescent Computer Addiction Test (ACAT).
RESULTS A high dependence on the mobile phone was recorded by 16.6% of the students, both men and women, and 16.6%, mainly men, reported excessive use of computers. Students with high dependence on the mobile phone, both men and women, led a mainly sedentary life and had poorer eating habits in comparison to non-addicts. Students with addiction to computers smoked more (both men and women), had poor eating habits (men only), did not exercise (men and women), and reported stress (men and women) and sleeping difficulties (men and women).
CONCLUSIONS The level of dependence of students on the mobile phone and their level of addiction to the computers is quite high, with a predominance of male students. Students addicted to information and communications technologies adopt health behaviors that can be harmful (i.e., sedentary life style, poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol, sleep disorders, etc.). The degree of their dependence on the mobile phone was positively associated with the degree of their addiction to computers.
Key words: Computers, Dependence, Health behavior, Mobile phone, Students.
