디지털헬스케어 서비스 산업이 수면의 질에 미치는 연속 다중매개 효과: 스마트폰 이용자들의 심리적 요인을 중심으로

Serial Multiple Mediation Effects of the Digital Healthcare Service Industry on Sleep Quality: Focusing on Psychological Factors Among Smartphone Users

Purpose - This study was conducted to examine the sequential multiple mediation effect of the digital healthcare service industry on sleep quality. It investigated the effects of smartphone dependence among college students—who are smartphone users—on deteriorating sleep quality, while analyzing the mediating pathways through psychological factors such as depression and anxiety, as well as the combined effects of sequential multiple mediation pathways. Design/Methodology/Approach - A survey was conducted on 247 male and female university students attending universities in City D and Province K, and a total of 247 copies were used in the final analysis. Structural equation modeling analysis was performed using SPSS AMOS 29.0. Findings - Smartphone dependence among college students was found to have no direct effect on sleep quality (β = 0.091, p > 0.05). However, the relationship between smartphone dependence and deteriorated sleep quality was significantly mediated by depression and anxiety in a sequential manner (β = 0.135, p < 0.05). Both depression (β = 0.142, p < 0.05) and anxiety (β = 0.241, p < 0.05) were shown to have significant individual effects on the association between smartphone dependence and sleep quality. Consequently, the total indirect effect between smartphone dependence and sleep quality was estimated at 0.518. Research Implications - Although the digital healthcare service industry enhances health-related factors such as sleep quality through various technologies, the excessive use of smartphones, as one of the most easily accessible healthcare devices, may not only disrupt sleep but also affect psychological factors, thereby negatively impacting the overall digital health of university students.