The prevalence of phantom vibration/ringing syndromes and their related factors in Iranian' students of medical sciences

The fear of smartphone notifications and calls among medical students: The phone ring phobia syndrome or telephobia

Background

Telephobia is a kind of anxiety disorder in which the individual is afraid of either answering or making telephone calls. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of telephobia among medical students and to determine the association of socio-demographic and other factors with this disorder.

Methods

A total of 320 undergraduate medical students were enrolled at a tertiary medical college in Western India, of which 300 (93.75%) responded to the survey. A stratified sampling strategy with the proportional allocation method was used in which 40 males and 20 females were selected from each year of students, spanning 5 years. A specially designed semi-structured questionnaire was used for the study, consisting of demographic data, purpose of using the internet, gadget used, and a 10-item telephobia questionnaire modified from the Severity Measure for Agoraphobia-Adult (SMA-A) Questionnaire to measure student's avoidance of telephone calling and receiving.

Results

The mean age of the study participants was 21.91 (±1.84) years, and most of the students were urban residents (184, 61.3%). The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe telephobia was 33.0%, 7.67%, and 1.33%, respectively, giving an overall prevalence of 42%. Univariate analysis revealed that male gender (χ2 = 9.822, df = 3, p = 0.0201), higher duration of internet usage (χ2 = 41.15, df = 9, p value < 0.000), and viewing porn (χ2 = 15.94, df = 3, p = 0.0011) had significant association with higher severity of telephobia. Viewing of porn sites was reported by 65 (21.7%) medical students, exclusively among males.

Conclusion

A prevalence of 9% moderate to severe telephobia among medical students is much alarming, which may aggravate further as the students move from academic to clinical settings. The phenomenon of telephobia needs further exploration, to find its determinants and predictors, especially among vulnerable populations.

Self-Management Exercises Intervention on Text Neck Syndrome Among University Students Using Smartphones

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of neck pain due to the overuse of mobile phones has been reported among university students.

AIM

This study aims to investigate the impact of self-management corrective exercises on text neck syndrome among university students using smartphones.

METHODS

This experimental study was conducted on 60 students in the two experimental and control groups. Demographic information and the Neck Disability Index (NDI) questionnaires were used for data collection. The Severity of Neck Pain (SNP) was determined using the visual analog scale. The head and neck tilt angles, the gaze angle, and the amount of change in the forward head posture were determined using photogrammetry and Kinovea software. The experimental group performed corrective exercises 5 days a week for 8 weeks. The desired variables were re-determined in both groups after the intervention.

RESULTS

The SNP and NDI in the experimental group after the intervention decreased by 0.61-1.45, and 1.20-5.14, respectively. Significant differences between the measured variables before and after the intervention in the experimental group showed that the head tilt angle (7.17-22.30 degrees), gaze angle (3.21-23.5 degrees), and forward head posture (3.26-5.42 cm) were reduced, and the neck tilt angle (2.00-17.24 degrees) increased and improved after the intervention in various measurement positions.

CONCLUSIONS

After performing the corrective exercises, 36.6% of the SNP and 13.3% of the NDI were reduced in the experimental group. Head and neck angles during using smartphones in a sitting position on a chair without a backrest were the most awkward posture compared with other postures.

Phantom Phone Signals in youths: Prevalence, correlates and relation to psychopathology

The term Phantom Phone Signals (PPS) refers to the perception of a mobile phone ringing, vibrating and blinking when in fact it did not. Data in youth are lacking, and controversies exist on whether PPS is related to psychopathology. In the present study, we showed data on the prevalence of PPS in a population (N = 2959) of students aged 10 to 14 years. We also explored the possible association between PPS and emotional or behavioural problems. Our results showed that PPS is a relatively common phenomenon with a prevalence rate of 58.9%, being more frequent in females. In univariate and multivariate analyses, we also found an association between the presence of PPS and emotional problems and temper tantrums, after accounting for relevant covariates. PPS is a relevant phenomenon to be considered in youth. It is common and may be a signal for emotional problems.

Fast food consumption and overweight/obesity prevalence in students and its association with general and abdominal obesity

Nowadays, the prevalence of both fast food consumption and overweight/obesity has been increased. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of fast food consumption and to assess its association with abdominal and general obesity. In an analytical cross-sectional study, 300 students were selected randomly from two largest universities in Qom, center of Iran, studying in medical and basic sciences fields in 2015. Data collection was conducted by a modified version of NELSON's fast food questionnaire and anthropometric measures including Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) and Body Mass Index (BMI). Chi-square, independent t-test, and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. According to our results, 72.4% (67.4% in females vs 80.7% in males) had at least one type of fast food consumption in the recent month including sandwich 44.4%, pizza 39.7%, and fried chicken 13.8%, The obesity prevalence based on BMI and WHR was 21.3% (95% CI: 19.4, 23.2%) and 33.2% (95% CI: 0.7, 35.7), respectively. Fast food consumption was related to abdominal obesity as WHR (OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.11, 2.26), but was not related to general obesity as BMI (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.63, 1.52). The prevalence of fast food consumption and obesity/overweight in Iranian student is high. Fast food consumption was associated with abdominal obesity based WHR, but did not related to general obesity based on BMI.

Prevalence and Pattern of Phantom Ringing and Phantom Vibration among Medical Interns and their Relationship with Smartphone Use and Perceived Stress

BACKGROUND

Phantom sensations like phantom vibration (PV) and phantom ringing (PR)- the sensations of vibration and ringing of the phone when they are not, respectively-are among the latest in the category of "techno-pathology" to receive global attention. This study was conducted with the aim to estimate the prevalence of such sensations among medical interns and their association with perceived stress levels and smartphone usage pattern.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ninety-three medical interns using smartphone were recruited for the study. Data were collected anonymously using semi-structured questionnaire, perceived stress scale (PSS), and smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, independent t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine percent students had a high level of stress, whereas 40% had problematic smartphone use. Sixty percent students experienced PV, whereas 42% experienced PR and both were significantly associated with higher frequency of phone use and the use of vibration mode. Mean SAS-SV score was significantly lower in students who did not perceive PR/PV, whereas mean PSS score was significantly lower in students who did not perceive PV.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms findings from other national and international researches about the experience of cell phone phantom sensations and their relationship with the pattern of phone use and stress level. It also brings to light high levels of stress and problematic smartphone use among medical students during the internship.