Original Research Article
Year: 2023 | Month: February | Volume: 13 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 113-126
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20230218
Smartphone Addiction and Self-reported Productivity among Hospital Health Professionals in Beirut
Georges Mezher1, Chantal Chahine1, Clara Khalaf1, Nathalie Chahine2
1Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Lebanon
2Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Lebanon
Corresponding Author: Dr Nathalie Chahine
ABSTRACT
Background: Excessive use of smartphones in the workplace can lead to addiction, which has a negative impact in terms of lowering productivity. The purpose of this research was to assess the addiction to smartphones and its relation to negative productivity among health professionals of six hospitals in Beirut, Lebanon.
Methodology: This is an observational cross-sectional study. Data was collected from 395 participants via a stratified random sampling method using a questionnaire providing a scale to rate smartphone addiction and work productivity assessment. Descriptive statistics and correlation/regression analysis were used to assess the significance of the results.
Results: 71.4% of the approved respondents (N=388) were found addicted to smartphone in age category under 19: (37.09±9.07, p=0.013), in single participants: (33.01±10.52, p=0.034), and in android operating system users: (31.32 ± 10.04, p=0.013). Results showed also, the percentage of addicted respondents using smartphones more than 3 hours per day: (35.03±8.52, p<0.001), internet: (32.94±9.42, p=0.004), and social media: (32.37±9.67, p=0.007). In addition, the Short Smartphone Addiction Scale (SSAS) showed a significant correlation with self-reported negative productivity (r=0.209, p<0.01), and the number of times of the smartphone usage per working day (r=0.264, p<0.01). A significant predictive relation between work productivity and the number of times of smartphones usage per working day was also shown.
Conclusion: Future research, on a national level could help identify a stronger association between addiction to smartphone and negative productivity among health professionals. Such results may provide policy guidance for the usage of smartphone among hospital professionals during working hours.
Key words: Smartphone addiction, productivity, efficiency, health professionals, hospitals, Beirut.