Title: Mobile Phone Addiction among MBBS Interns Working in a Tertiary Health Care Institution in North India
Authors: Manish Bathla, Meenu Kumari, Harpreet Sarao, Gurvinder Pal Singh, Shazia Anjum, Moushumi P Mukherjee
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i5.183
Abstract
Background: Mobile phone is not just a good instrument for communication, but has many features of use in day to day life. It has insinuated into every aspect of human life and potential for misuse exists. Not much work has been done in this area among medical interns in North India, hence this study was planned.
Aim: To study the pattern of mobile phone addiction among MBBS interns.
Settings and Design: The present study was a cross sectional study that was conducted in the department of Psychiatry.
Methods and Material: A total of 50 MBBS intern participated in this study.
Sampling Technique: Convenience and purposive sampling was used.
Tools used: The instruments used in data collection were: Mobile phone addiction scale (MPAS) and socio-demographic data sheet.
Statistical analysis used: The data was analyzed to evaluate by means of descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS-20.
Results: Both male and female population was in equal number; majority of MBBS interns were in the age group of 21 to 23 years (60%); majority of the participants hailed from the nuclear family (60%). 56% of the participants showed mild level of addiction and 42% showed moderate level of addiction as measured on MPAS tool.
Conclusions: 56% sample had mild addiction; 42% moderate addiction and only 2% severe addiction on MPAS. Our study suggests a need for awareness drive in the medical institutions and imparts knowledge to the MBBS interns about the harmful effects of mobile phone addiction.
Keywords: mobile phone addiction, MBBS interns.
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