Effects of On-Campus and Off-Campus Smartphone Overdependence Prevention Programs Among University Students

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to evaluate effects of self-determination theory-based on-campus and off-campus prevention programs on smartphone overdependence among university students.Methods: This was a pre-posttest quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group (CG). Seventy-eight students were recruited as participants. They were allowed to choose either an experi-ment group (EG) or a 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 1 month and 3 months after intervention. Data were analyzed using mixed analysis of covariance. Focus group interview was performed for qualitative evaluation.Results: 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). Focus group interviews revealed that participants strived to control their smartphone usage through individual efforts and by interacting with new friends in college even after completing the program.Conclusion: 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 in on -campus to the real world.(c) 2022 Korean Society of Nursing Science. Published by Elsevier BV. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).