Network structure of mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms among rural Chinese adolescents

• Published in: BMC psychiatry Vol. 23; no. 1; p. 491
• Main Authors: Wang, Jingjing, Luo, Yunjiao, Yan, Na, Wang, Yuhao, Shiferaw, Blen Dereje, Tang, Jie, Pei, Yifei, Chen, Qian, Zhu, Yiyang, Wang, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 10.07.2023; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Addictions; Adolescent; Adolescents; Anxiety; Anxiety - epidemiology; Cell Phone; Cellular telephones; East Asian People - psychology; Emotions; Gender differences; Health aspects; Humans; Internet; Investigations; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mobile phone addiction; Network analysis; Pathological Internet Use; Prevention; Psychiatry; Psychological aspects; Questionnaires; Risk factors; Rural areas; Rural Population; Sleep; Sleep quality; Social aspects; Software; Technology Addiction; Teenagers; Youth; China; Sleep quality; Anxiety; Mobile phone addiction; Adolescents; Network analysis
• ISSN: 1471-244X; 1471-244X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04971-x

The incidence of mobile phone addiction among adolescents in rural areas of China is increasing year by year, and has already exceeded that of some cities. And phone addiction increases the risk of anxiety and poor sleep. Therefore, this study used network analysis to investigate the relationship between mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms, and the predictability to sleep quality. From September 2021 to March 2022, a total of 1920 rural adolescents in Xuzhou, China were included. The survey included information on phone addiction, anxiety symptoms, and sleep quality. Network analysis was used to estimate the network structure of adolescents' mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms. LOWESS curve and linear regression were used to test the predictive ability of node-centrality on sleep quality. In the network of mobile phone addiction-anxiety symptoms, the most influential symptoms were Failure to cut down the time, Anxiety if not used for some time, and Alleviate loneliness. Irritability was the most prominent bridging symptom. Gender difference had no effect on network structure. Nodes in the network are not predictive of sleep quality. Failure to cut down the time is the most important symptom, suggesting that measures should be taken to reduce the amount of time spent on mobile phones. For example, increase outdoor exercise, increase the real company of friends and family, in order to reduce the occurrence of mobile phone addiction and anxiety.