Smartphone Addiction Prevalence Among Medical Students in India

Strategic Insights -

A recent study published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry has estimated the pooled prevalence of smartphone addiction among undergraduate medical students in India. The research, conducted by a team from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, aimed to explore demographic, regional, and methodological variations in smartphone addiction among medical students. The study's findings have significant implications for addressing mental health and academic performance among medical students.

Key Takeaways:

  • The pooled prevalence of smartphone addiction among MBBS students in India was estimated to be 60% (95% CI 45% to 73%; number of studies = 24), with high heterogeneity (I^2 = 99.4%).
  • The research included 24 studies that reported the prevalence of smartphone addiction among MBBS students in India.
  • Subgroup analyses examined differences based on geographic region, sampling method, academic year, and type of scale used.
  • Meta-regression assessed the influence of potential moderators on smartphone addiction prevalence.
  • Leave one out sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the robustness of the findings.
  • Publication bias was evaluated using Doi plot and Luis Furuya-Kanamori (LFK) index.
  • The study concluded that addressing smartphone addiction is crucial for safeguarding students' mental health and academic performance.

Statistics:

  • 60%: Pooled prevalence of smartphone addiction among MBBS students in India (95% CI 45% to 73%)
  • 24: Number of studies included in the analysis
  • 99.4%: High heterogeneity in the pooled prevalence estimate (I^2)
  • 45%: Lower bound of the 95% confidence interval for the pooled prevalence
  • 73%: Upper bound of the 95% confidence interval for the pooled prevalence

Sources:

  • NewsRx. New Science Data Have Been Reported by Researchers at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (Prevalence of smartphone addiction among undergraduate medical students in India- A systematic review and meta-analysis). Health & Medicine Week. October 17, 2025; p 22.
  • Prevalence of smartphone addiction among undergraduate medical students in India- A systematic review and meta-analysis. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 2025;67(9):842-851.
  • Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, Wolters Kluwer India Pvt Ltd, A-202, 2ND Flr, Qube, C T S No 1498A-2 Village Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.