Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, and Smartphone Addiction: A Cross-Sectional Study among Adolescents

Authors

  • Lilik Ariyanti Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Nasional
  • Almas Awanis Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Nasional

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37287/picnhs.v7i1.1566

Keywords:

adolescent, addiction, BMI, physical activity, smartphone

Abstract

Smartphone addiction has become a growing public health concern among adolescents. Excessive smartphone use has been associated with physical inactivity, mental health problems, and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors that may contribute to abnormal body mass index (BMI). This study aimed to examine the association between physical activity level, body mass index, and smartphone addiction among adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 102 adolescents, 15–17 years old in Surakarta, Indonesia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire including demographic characteristics, the Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version (SAS-SV), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). BMI was calculated based on measured height and weight. The prevalence of smartphone addiction was 52.9%. Most participants had normal BMI (52.0%), while 28.4% were obese. Low physical activity levels were observed in 42.2% of respondents. Chi-square analysis indicated a borderline association between physical activity level and smartphone addiction (p = 0.054), suggesting a tendency for lower physical activity to be associated with higher smartphone addiction. No significant association was found between BMI and smartphone addiction (p = 0.084), nor between physical activity level and BMI (p = 0.359). Smartphone addiction was highly prevalent among adolescents. Although physical activity showed a potential association with smartphone addiction, BMI was not significantly correlation to either smartphone addiction or physical activity. These findings showed that the importance of promoting regular physical activity as part of preventive strategies against smartphone addiction among adolescents.

 

References

Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K. T., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 192(6), E136–E141. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190434

Chen, H., Wang, C., Lu, T., Tao, B., Gao, Y., & Yan, J. (2022). The Relationship between Physical Activity and College Students’ Mobile Phone Addiction: The Chain-Based Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and Social Adaptation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 9286. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159286

Daryabeygi-Khotbehsara, R., Shariful Islam, S. M., Dunstan, D., McVicar, J., Abdelrazek, M., & Maddison, R. (2021). Smartphone-Based Interventions to Reduce Sedentary Behavior and Promote Physical Activity Using Integrated Dynamic Models: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(9), e26315. https://doi.org/10.2196/26315

Das, P., Saraswathy, K. N., & Chaudhary, V. (2024). Prevalence of Smartphone Addiction and its Relationship with Obesity among Young Adults: A Cross-sectional Study from Delhi, India. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 49(3), 544–548. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_288_23

Dharmansyah, D., & Budiana, D. (2021). Indonesian Adaptation of The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ): Psychometric Properties. JURNAL PENDIDIKAN KEPERAWATAN INDONESIA, 7(2), 159–163. https://doi.org/10.17509/jpki.v7i2.39351

Geng, Z., & Liu, R. (2025). The impact of smartphone addiction and negative emotions on parent–child relationships among elementary school students. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1582741

Godoy-Cumillaf, A., Fuentes-Merino, P., Farías-Valenzuela, C., Duclos-Bastías, D., Giakoni-Ramírez, F., Bruneau-Chávez, J., & Merellano-Navarro, E. (2023). The Association between Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, and Physical Fitness with Body Mass Index and Sleep Time in Chilean Girls and Boys: A Cross-Sectional Study. Children, 10(6), 981. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10060981

Goyal, J., & Rakhra, G. (2024). Sedentarism and Chronic Health Problems. Korean Journal of Family Medicine, 45(5), 239–257. https://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.24.0099

Guertler, D., Bläsing, D., Moehring, A., Meyer, C., Brandt, D., Schmidt, H., Rehbein, F., Neumann, M., Dreißigacker, A., Bischof, A., Bischof, G., Sürig, S., Hohls, L., Hagspiel, M., Wurm, S., Haug, S., & Rumpf, H.-J. (2024). App-Based Addiction Prevention at German Vocational Schools: Implementation and Reach for a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial. Prevention Science, 25(5), 849–860. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-024-01702-w

Guo, K., Ma, Q., Yao, S., Liu, C., Hui, Z., Jiang, J., & Lin, X. (2022). The Relationship Between Physical Exercise and Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency of University Students in China: A Moderated Mediation Model. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.730886

Haug, S., Castro, R. P., Kwon, M., Filler, A., Kowatsch, T., & Schaub, M. P. (2015). Smartphone use and smartphone addiction among young people in Switzerland. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 4(4), 299–307. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.4.2015.037

Kim, S.-E., Kim, J.-W., & Jee, Y.-S. (2015). Relationship between smartphone addiction and physical activity in Chinese international students in Korea. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 4(3), 200–205. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.4.2015.028

Kumban, W., Cetthakrikul, S., & Santiworakul, A. (2025). Smartphone Addiction, Screen Time, and Physical Activity of Different Academic Majors and Study Levels in University Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(2), 237. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22020237

Kuss, D., & Griffiths, M. (2017). Social Networking Sites and Addiction: Ten Lessons Learned. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(3), 311. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14030311

Lee, C., & Lee, S.-J. (2017). Prevalence and predictors of smartphone addiction proneness among Korean adolescents. Children and Youth Services Review, 77, 10–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.04.002

Lepp, A., Barkley, J. E., Sanders, G. J., Rebold, M., & Gates, P. (2013). The Relationship Between Cell Phone Use, Physical and Sedentary Activity, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in a Sample of U.S. College Students. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-79

Liu, H., Zhou, Z., Huang, L., Zhu, E., Yu, L., & Zhang, M. (2022). Prevalence of smartphone addiction and its effects on subhealth and insomnia: a cross-sectional study among medical students. BMC Psychiatry, 22(1), 305. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-03956-6

Lopez-Fernandez, O., Honrubia-Serrano, L., Freixa-Blanxart, M., & Gibson, W. (2014). Prevalence of Problematic Mobile Phone Use in British Adolescents. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17(2), 91–98. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2012.0260

Ma, R., Min, K., Meng, Z., Yang, J., Zhang, H., & Li, Q. (2025). The mediating effects of smartphone addiction in the association between mental disorders and eating disorders: findings from a nationwide survey among Chinese youth. BMC Public Health, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23608-0

Madden, A. M., & Smith, S. (2016). Body composition and morphological assessment of nutritional status in adults: a review of anthropometric variables. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 29(1), 7–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12278

Meng, S.-Q., Cheng, J.-L., Li, Y.-Y., Yang, X.-Q., Zheng, J.-W., Chang, X.-W., Shi, Y., Chen, Y., Lu, L., Sun, Y., Bao, Y.-P., & Shi, J. (2022). Global prevalence of digital addiction in general population: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 92, 102128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102128

Nagata, J. M., Smith, N., Alsamman, S., Lee, C. M., Dooley, E. E., Kiss, O., Ganson, K. T., Wing, D., Baker, F. C., & Gabriel, K. P. (2023). Association of Physical Activity and Screen Time With Body Mass Index Among US Adolescents. JAMA Network Open, 6(2), e2255466. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.55466

Nambirajan, M. K., Vidusha, K., Kailasam, J. G., Kannan, S., Govindan, D., Ganesh, K., U, S., Priyan, S., & Krishnamoorthy, Y. (2025). Association between smartphone addiction and sedentary behaviour amongst children, adolescents and young adults: A Systematic Review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 184, 128–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.049

Rosenberg, D. E., Norman, G. J., Wagner, N., Patrick, K., Calfas, K. J., & Sallis, J. F. (2010). Reliability and Validity of the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) for Adults. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 7(6), 697–705. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.7.6.697

Soni, R., Upadhyay, R., & Jain, M. (2017). Prevalence of smart phone addiction, sleep quality and associated behaviour problems in adolescents. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 5(2), 515. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20170142

Tiruneh, G. (n.d.). The Relationship between Physical Activity and Body Mass Index: Issues in Model Specification.

Tymofiyeva, O., Yuan, J. P., Kidambi, R., Huang, C.-Y., Henje, E., Rubinstein, M. L., Jariwala, N., Max, J. E., Yang, T. T., & Xu, D. (2020). Neural Correlates of Smartphone Dependence in Adolescents. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14, 564629. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2020.564629

Wei Lee, K., Mooi Ching, S., Ali, N., Yau Ooi, C., Kamal Hj Sidek, S., Amat, A., Yatim, Y., Yahaya, Z., Shamsuddin, N., Ibrahim, I., Abdul Majid, F., Suhana Othman, F., Suhaila Zakaria, N., Abidin, A., Hazlin Talib, N., & Sivaratnam, D. (2023). Prevalence and Factors Associated with Smartphone Addiction among Adolescents–A Nationwide Study in Malaysia. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 25(2), 237–247. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2023.013407

WHO. (2020). WHO Guideline On Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior.

Wong, S. L., Leatherdale, S. T., & Cdc, for. (n.d.). Association Between Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, and Obesity: Inactivity Among Active Kids. Retrieved http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2009/jan/07_0242.htm.Accessed[date].

Yuniarti, T., Musta’in, Adriani, R. B., Widiyanto, A., Atmojo, J. T., & Putri, S. I. (2024). The Correlation between Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Body Mass Index among College Students in Surakarta, Indonesia: A Cross-sectional Study. Asian Journal of Social Health and Behavior, 7(3), 134–139. https://doi.org/10.4103/shb.shb_18_24

Zhang, R., Jiang, Q., Cheng, M., & Rhim, Y.-T. (2024). The effect of smartphone addiction on adolescent health: the moderating effect of leisure physical activities. Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 37(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-024-00308-z

Downloads

Published

2026-03-15

How to Cite

Ariyanti, L., & Awanis, A. (2026). Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, and Smartphone Addiction: A Cross-Sectional Study among Adolescents. Proceedings of the International Conference on Nursing and Health Sciences, 7(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.37287/picnhs.v7i1.1566

Similar Articles

1 2 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.