This study aimed to develop a smartphone overdependence prevention program for college students based on the self-determination theory (SDT) and evaluate its effectiveness. A non-equivalent control group repeated measures design was used for the study. Participants were 64 university freshmen (experimental group: 29, control group: 35). The developed program consists of eight sessions conducted twice a week. The program was designed to promote autonomy, competence, and relatedness the three elements of the basic psychological needs of self-determination theory. The participants were assessed before the program, immediately after, and 1 and 3 months after the program. Data were collected from April 23 to September 14, 2018 and analyzed by performing a Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS/WIN 23.0. This study showed improvement in the basic psychological needs (F=3.90, p=.010) in the experimental group compared to the control group. Specifically, competence (F=2.93, p=.035), relatedness (F=2.89, p=.045), and self-regulatory ability (F=3.11, p=.028) improved significantly. Study findings indicate that the smartphone overdependence prevention program based on the Self-determination theory could be an effective intervention for improving basic psychological needs and self-regulation ability. Therefore, this program could be an efficient strategy for smartphone overdependence prevention in university students.

The present study aimed to systematically review to find the best available evidence on the efficacy of non-pharmaceutical interventions that have been used in the community so far. Through eight electronic journal database, 9 articles met our inclusion Participants, Intervention, Control, Outcomes, and Study Design (PICOS) criteria based on medical symptoms, interventions, and improvements. In general, interventions included hand hygiene, mask use, health education such as cough etiquette, hand washing and sanitizer methods. In addition, exercise and meditation were performed to improve immunity. As a result, the number of incidents and absences related to respiratory infections were reduced, the frequency and method of handwashing improved, and there were also positive effects in knowledge, attitude/perception, and performance. We concluded that it is necessary to create an environment and systematic support so that organizations or governments can determine healthy behavior at the same time as an individual approach. Furthermore, the follow-up for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and the monitoring period should be included during the study, consequently resulting in having an opportunity to continuously remind people about health behavior. The community provides information on various types of non-pharmaceutical intervention to maintain healthy management and lifestyles in the public.

To evaluate effects of self-determination theory-based on-campus and off-campus prevention programs on smartphone overdependence among university students. This was a pre-posttest quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group. Seventy-eight students were recruited as participants. They were allowed to choose either an experiment group or a control group (CG). On-campus smartphone overdependence prevention program was provided to participants in experimental group 1 (EG1), while on-campus program combined with off-campus prevention camp was provided to those in experimental group 2 (EG2). Instruments used in this study included a smartphone overdependence self-diagnosis scale, a basic psychological needs scale, and a self-regulation ability scale. Data collection was performed at baseline, immediately after intervention, at one month and three months after intervention. Data were analyzed using mixed analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Focus group interview (FGI) was performed for qualitative evaluation. After the intervention, smartphone overdependence and basic psychological needs exhibited significant interactions between group and time. Smartphone overdependence scores decreased in EG1 and EG2, but increased in CG (F = 4.56, p = .001). Basic psychological needs improved in EG1 and EG2, but deteriorated in CG (F = 5.04, p = .009). FGIs reveaaled that participants strived to control their smartphone usage through individual efforts and by interacting with new friends in college even after completing the program. In this study, on-campus only program and combined intervention of on- and off-campus programs were both effective in maintaining and managing smartphone use. However, participants perceived that the off-campus program provided an opportunity to apply the theory learned on-campus to the real world.

Purpose: This study investigated the factors influencing smartphone overdependence in university students using an ecological model and descriptive research.Methods: Data were collected from 482 students at 13 universities in the six regions in South Korea from October 20, 2020, to March 25, 2021. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, the independent samples t-test, analysis of variance, and hierarchical multiple regression.Results: The significant ecological factors influencing smartphone overdependence included self-awareness of smartphone overdependence (β=.33, p<.001), autonomy (β=–.25, p<.001), average daily smartphone usage time (β=.18, p<.001), gender (β=.15, p=.001), college year (β=.15, p=.020), forming relationships with others as a motivation for smartphone use (β=–.15, p=.008), friend support (β=.14, p=.006), and age (β=–.12, p=.047). The model explained 34.9% of the variance.Conclusion: The study emphasized the role of personal and interpersonal factors, in smartphone overdependence among university students. Tailored intervention strategies are necessary to address smartphone overdependence, considering the unique characteristics of students’ environments. A significant aspect of this study is that it provides an explanation of the multidimensional factors contributing to smartphone overdependence among university students, including intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental influences.