Abstract

Introduction: The world has become “Global Digital Suite”. Technological revolutions and inventions have provided the world with various inventions for various purposes. Excessive day by day increase in mobile phone usage throughout the world raises widespread concerns over its possible harmful effects on human health. This study was conducted with the aim of to assess the pattern of mobile phone usage and effects of problematic mobile phone usage on health among students of a selected college of an urban area of Western Maharastra. Methods & Materials: The present study adopted a cross sectional descriptive design. A total of 210 students were selected for the study. A questionnaire was developed to assess the pattern of mobile phone usage. PUMP scale was used to assess the problematic mobile phone usage and a self perceived questionnaire was used to assess the health effects of mobile phone usage. Results: Findings revealed, majority of the students 174 (82.9%) were female and only 36 (17.1%) students were male, 91 (43.3%) students were using mobile phone for entertainment purpose, maximum students 139 (66.2%) were checking mobile phone more than 8 times in an hour, majority 82 (39%) of the students were spending more than Rs 750 on mobile phone per month, 135 (64.3%) students reported that they use mobile phone irrespective of time, 20 (9.52%) were having severe health effects of problematic mobile phone use, majority of the students 175 (83.3%) experienced tinnitus, 172 (81.9%) experienced depression, 168 (80%) of them experienced earache, 164 (78.1%) felt nomophobia, 160 (76.2%) textphrenia, 151 (71.9%) ringxiety, 149 (71%) suffered pain in the finger, 145 (69%) had disturbed sleep, 99 (47.1%) suffered headache because of problematic mobile phone usage. Chisquare value showed statistically significant association between mobile phone usage pattern with education of parents, monthly income, pocket money per month with 3df at 5% level of significance (p value <0.05). Discussion: There was statistical significance association between mobile phone usage and effects of Problematic mobile phone usage on college students in India, as it is appearing as an emerging health problem in college students. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the need emerges for more extensive research in the concerned field to validate the findings and felt need to formulate policies, which should consider the problem of mobile phone addiction and educate the users regarding the same.

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