An examination of problematic mobile phone use in the United Arab Emirates: Prevalence, correlates, and predictors in a college-aged sample of young adults

Zahir Vally, Fatima El Hichami

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Despite a number of benefits, mobile phones can carry many deleterious effects. We aimed to determine the extent of problematic mobile phone use in a sample of college-aged young adults in the United Arab Emirates. We also examined whether a number of factors were correlated with and predicted problematic use. We conducted a cross-sectional, correlational study in which a sample of 350 young adults (M = 20.70, SD = 2.14, range: 18–33 years)completed a survey that included socio-demographic variables, and measures of problematic mobile phone use (MPPUS-10), depression, and low self-esteem. One third of the sample evidenced scores indicative of problematic mobile phone use (M = 47.14, SD = 19.98). Logistic regression identified female gender, increasing daily time using the mobile phone, and elevated depressive symptomology predicted higher MPPUS-10 scores. The MPPUS-10 evidenced acceptable reliability and validity in this sample. The prevalence of problematic mobile phone use was considerable in this sample, higher in comparison to previous reports from Europe and the Far East.

Original languageEnglish
Article number100185
JournalAddictive Behaviors Reports
Volume9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2019

Keywords

  • Addictive behavior
  • Arab
  • Middle East
  • Mobile dependence
  • Mobile phone
  • Problematic use
  • Smartphone

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (miscellaneous)
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Medicine (miscellaneous)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'An examination of problematic mobile phone use in the United Arab Emirates: Prevalence, correlates, and predictors in a college-aged sample of young adults'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this