Correlation of Smart Phone Addiction with Poor Sleep Quality and Low Academic Score in Medical Students of Nishtar Medical University, South Punjab

Background: Smart phone addiction can disturb sleep quality in medical students by upsetting internal biological clock (SCN) and melatonin level which in turn adversely affects academic performance of medical students. Objectives: To correlate smart phone addiction (SPA), poor sleep quality and low academic score in medical students and its association with gender. Methodology: A Cross- sectional descriptive study was conducted on medical students of 4th and final year MBBS (who were mobile phone addict for more than one year). The percentage of last professional exam was taken as academic score. A proposed SPA diagnostic criterion was used to diagnose smart phone addict students. For SPA severity and sleep quality assessment Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPU-Q) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used. Results: A total of 74 subjects having mean (SD) age of 22.24 (1.929) years presented with negative correlation between academic score and PSQI (p< 0.05) were included in the study. There was no significant association between academic score and smart phone addiction. The male students had worse score in dependency and dangerous use on PMUQ scale. The female students were worse in dangerous and problematic use of smart phone on PMUQ scale. Conclusion: The SP dependency and poor subjective sleep quality of male students were negatively associated with their academic score. The female students with low academic score were worse at PSQI score, their academic score was not significantly correlated with their smart phone addiction. Keywords: Smartphone addiction, Sleep Quality, Academic Score