An Interventional Study on Smartphones Usage Pattern among Dental Student of District Meerut, (UP)

Smart phones have become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives. The use of mobile technology in medical education is a welcome development especially because it offers a good platform for continuous self-directed learning, an important skill for all health practitioners.

(1) to find out usage pattern of smart phones among dental students. (2) To assess the effects of Smartphone on their physical, social, and psychological health.

In this study, before educational intervention 34% of students used their Smart phones for less than 4 hrs, 50% used for voice calling, 31% for gaming, 15% for news and Infotainment, 75% for social networking, 61% for music and 14% for other uses. 21% students had productive impact, 56% feel happy, 7% feel grateful, 21% distracted, 3% feel frustrated and 4% feel angry. 72% students kept it with themselves, 37% had positive and 63% had negative impact, 37% kept it beneath the pillow, 24% kept it on charging dock and 44% kept it on side table. Smart phones newer affects in 25% students, affect sometimes in 67%, often in 6% and always in 2%. 88% of the students were aware of the harmful effects of Smart phones. Pre and post differences were found not statistically significant in this study.

Applications on smart phones are very popular and instant messaging is an upcoming form of communication for students. In spite of some knowledge on unfavorable health effects, mobile phones are gaining popularity among young medical and dental students.