The Dose-Response Relationship Between Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Smartphone Addiction in First-Year Tehran University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Health Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 7;9(6):e72581. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.72581. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Smartphone addiction (SA) is highly prevalent among first-year university students and has significant consequences. Physical activity (PA), known to benefit both physical and mental health, has shown inconsistent associations with SA across studies. Moreover, the distinct sociocultural context of Iran with respect to PA and SA suggests that these associations may differ from those observed in other populations. Given these inconsistencies, this study aimed to examine the relationship between PA and SA among first-year students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS).

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, baseline data from 397 first-year TUMS students were analyzed. SA was measured using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) and PA with the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ-v2). Associations were examined using multivariable linear regression and dose-response analysis.

RESULTS: Participants engaged in sufficient moderate leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) had the strongest inverse association with SA (adjusted β = -5.04, 95% CI: -8.57 to -1.52, p = 0.005) compared to other PA domains. In addition, trend analysis revealed that LTPA exhibited a significant trend in the level of PA and severity of SA. Additionally, the dose-response analysis revealed that higher PA levels were associated with lower levels of SA, with this relationship being most pronounced at lower PA amounts.

CONCLUSION: The current association between LTPA and SA could suggest that promoting LTPA may be particularly effective in mitigating smartphone addiction among first-year university students.

PMID:42261554 | PMC:PMC13242693 | DOI:10.1002/hsr2.72581