Correlation Between Smartphone Addiction, Sleep Problems and Body Mass Index in School Age Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Because they make communication and entertainment easier, smartphones have improved society and are now an essential part of daily life (Khan and Khan, 2022). As smartphone usage rises, children are more likely to be exposed in their early years (Yadav and Chakraborty, 2022). For the younger generation in their adolescence and teenage years, cellphones offer a way to engage, converse, connect with peers, and have fun. Academic achievement, emotional development, personal safety, and relationships with parents and other children are all adversely affected by excessive smartphone use (Mi et al., 2023).

Smartphones impact children's activities, and they become too attached to their smartphones, which might lead to addiction and negatively affect interpersonal relationships as well as both physical and mental well-being (Numanoğlu-Akbaş et al., 2020 and Radesky et al., 2020). Smartphone overuse results in decreased sleep quality, such as short nights' sleep and disturbed sleep patterns, as well as greater degrees of worry and despair in children (Elhai et al., 2021).

According to Numanoğlu-Akbaş et al. (2020), sleep is crucial for the developmental health of a child and normal growth since it allows the body to store energy, foster physical growth, and encourage development. Sleep is essential for brain function, metabolism, hunger control, immunological, hormonal, and cardiovascular system regulation. Also, sleep is necessary for recovery, good mental health, maintaining mood, controlling emotions, learning, and memory (Radesky et al., 2020).

Persistent sleep issues are complicated and can have negative consequences on one's general health (Elhai et al., 2021). Sleep length and quality are influenced by a number of factors, one of these factors might be the rapidly growing usage of technology, such as smartphone addiction (Punamäki et al., 2007).

Obesity is one of the biggest health issues in the world, much like excessive smartphone use, which is a clear social concern. Numerous bodily systems are impacted, and children may experience difficulties as a result. Globally, the frequency of childhood and teenage obesity has skyrocketed, rising from 5.6 to 17% among children aged 6 to 11 (Lister et al., 2023).