Poor Sleep Quality, Eveningness, and Anxiety Are Associated With Internet/Smartphone Addiction in Korean Adolescents

Abstract

Objective: Internet addiction and smartphone addiction are emerging mental health concerns in adolescents. To determine the factors related to these conditions, we investigated their associations with sleep quality, chronotype, sleep patterns, daylight exposure, depression, and anxiety.Methods: Self-rated questionnaires, including the Internet Addiction Proneness Scale-Short Form, Smartphone Addiction Scale–short version, Insomnia Severity Index, Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, sleep-related questionnaires, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, were administered in a study population of 1,610 Korean high school students. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations with internet addiction and smartphone addiction.Results: Multiple linear regression showed significant associations of internet addiction with poor sleep quality (β=0.094, p<0.001), eveningness (β=-0.071, p=0.006), less daylight exposure (β=-0.066, p=0.005), anxiety (β=0.252, p<0.001), and older age (β=0.295, p<0.001). Smartphone addiction was significantly associated with poor sleep quality (β=0.076, p=0.005), eveningness (β=-0.164, p<0.001), excessive daytime sleepiness (β=0.109, p<0.001), longer time in bed on weekdays (β=0.057, p=0.024), shorter weekend oversleep (β=-0.081, p=0.005), anxiety (β=0.192, p<0.001), and younger age (β=-0.145, p<0.001).Conclusion: Our findings suggest that poor sleep quality, eveningness, and anxiety can serve as predictors of both internet addiction and smartphone addiction in adolescents. Internet addiction seems to be negatively associated with daylight exposure, whereas smartphone addiction showed significant associations with sleep patterns. Additional studies regarding the causal relations between these factors are needed.