Cell Phone Addiction and Its Association with Socio-Environmental Factors among Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Abstract

Cell phone addiction has emerged as a critical behavioral concern, especially among children with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, exposure to smartphone addiction in this group remains scarce, especially in the context of Bangladesh. This study aims to explore the cell phone addiction level among children with NDDs and associated factors in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In this study, an analytical cross-sectional design and a criteria-based purposive sampling technique were implemented. Socio-demographic questions and the Digital Addiction Scale for Children (DASC) were used to collect necessary data. A descriptive statistic, the Pearson Chi-square test, and Regression analysis were applied to achieve the study objective. Among 182 samples, 66.8 were boys and 33.2% girls with a mean age of 6.83 years. The findings revealed that 43.5% exhibited moderate levels of addiction and 37% showed severe levels, while fewer than 20% were categorized as mildly addicted. The study found parenting time [OR = 2.34], mother's occupation [OR = 2.24], family income [OR = 2.55], and disorder type [OR = 2.18] as risk factors for cell phone addiction (p <.05). Cell phone addiction was prevalent among children with NDDs, particularly children with autism spectrum disorder and attention disorder/ hyperactivity disorder are at higher risk. Several socio-demographic factors are significantly associated with addiction severity, aligned with the Social Cognitive Theory, which emphasizes the role of environmental influences and behavioral characteristics in shaping individual perspectives. In addition to parents' monitoring, the development of public health policies could be a crucial initiative to combat the issue.