AUTHOR=Tao Yunfei , Liu Zhaozhi , Huang Li , Liu Haowei , Tian Haodong , Wu Jinlong , Li Lan , Peng Li 

TITLE=The impact of smartphone dependence on college students’ sleep quality: the chain-mediated role of negative emotions and health-promoting behaviors

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1454217

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1454217

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Objective</title><p>Sleep disturbances among college students have become a significant issue affecting their daily lives. This study aims to explore the relationship between smartphone dependence and sleep quality and examine the mediating roles of negative emotions and health-promoting behaviors.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 23,652 college students were included in the study, and 21,314 valid questionnaires were collected. The survey assessed demographic factors, smartphone dependence, sleep quality, negative emotions, and health-promoting behaviors. A chain mediation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among these factors.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>Smartphone dependence was significantly positively correlated with sleep quality (<italic>r</italic> = 0.272, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) and negative emotions (<italic>r</italic> = 0.414, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), and significantly negatively correlated with health-promoting behaviors (<italic>r</italic> = −0.178, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). Sleep quality was positively correlated with negative emotions (<italic>r</italic> = 0.472, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) and negatively correlated with health-promoting behaviors (<italic>r</italic> = −0.218, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001).Smartphone dependence was a significant positive predictor of sleep quality. Moreover, negative emotions and health-promoting behaviors influenced the relationship between smartphone dependence and sleep quality. The total effect, direct effect, and indirect effect values were 0.304, 0.122, and 0.170, respectively.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>Different demographic factors (such as gender and place of residence) can lead to variations in different variables. Smartphone dependence and negative emotions have a positive impact on sleep quality among college students, while health-promoting behaviors have a negative impact. Smartphone dependence directly and positively affects sleep quality and can also influence it indirectly through the mediating effects of negative emotions and health-promoting behaviors, both individually and in a chain-like manner.</p></sec>