Title
Prevalence of problematic cell phone use in an adult population in Spain as assessed by the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS)
Date Issued
01 August 2017
Access level
open access
Resource Type
research article
Author(s)
Abstract
Problematic cell phone use has alarmingly increased in industrialized countries in the past 10 years. For many perpetrators, it can turn into a behavioural addiction, although this is not a recognized medical condition. Although there are many tools for evaluating this use, one of the most widely used tools is the Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS), which we test on a representative sample of the population in Spain to obtain an estimate of the prevalence of problematic cell phone use in our midst. The age range consists of 16–65 years, with 1,126 surveys conducted. In this population, we verify that the reliability and internal consistency of the MPPUS (α = 0.939) are maintained. Additionally, the construct validity, considering the derived factors (Abuse and Dependence, Craving and Loss of Control, and Dependence on the Social Environment) are aligned with other research and with diverse external criteria of addiction. We establish four categories of users (Casual, Regular, At Risk, and Problematic) and obtain a prevalence of 15.4% among At Risk Users and 5.1% among Problematic Users. This finding implies a total of 20.5% of Users with Problems. A binary logistic regression analysis shows that age, gender, level of education, and daily cell phone use predict problematic cell phone use. The results, based on multiple criteria, show that such problematic use shares features of recognized addictions, affecting large segments of the population and not only adolescents.
Volume
12
Issue
8
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Psicología (incluye relaciones hombre-máquina)
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85026786934
PubMed ID
Source
PLoS ONE
Sponsor(s)
The investigation performed subcontracted the company Netquest, an online survey services business, for the web-based study. Any of the authors have financial competing interest to be disclosed. This work was supported by the Carlos III Health Institute and the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness UE/ERDF (PI13/0226 to FRF) and the Network for Addictive Disorders UE/ERDF (RD12/0028/0001 to F.R.F.).
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus