Objective This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of problematic smartphone use (PSU) among adolescents and its association with anxiety and suicidal ideation. Methods The 16th cross-sectional, population-based Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey was administered in 2020 and included 54,948 adolescents. We used the Korean version of the smartphone overdependence scale and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale to assess PSU and anxiety. Suicidal ideation was assessed through responses to the self-report question. Multiple logistic regression analyses with complex sampling were conducted to identify the association of PSU with anxiety and suicidal ideation. Results In total, 25.1% of the adolescents reported PSU, 33.2% had anxiety symptoms, and 10.9% had seriously considered suicide dur-ing the past 12 months. Girls with PSU had a higher risk of anxiety (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.65 to 2.97) and suicidal ideation (aOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.64 to 1.91) than non-PSU girls. Boys with PSU reported more anxiety (aOR, 2.89; 95% CI, 2.72 to 3.07) and suicidal ideation (aOR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.66 to 1.99) than the non-PSU group. In addition, girls with the lowest house-hold income reported more suicidal ideation than girls with the highest household income (aOR, 3.40; 95% CI, 2.69 to 4.28). Conclusion This study demonstrated the prevalence of PSU among South Korean adolescents in 2020. The prioritization of the detec-tion of PSU and the identification of psychological factors may help improve the diagnosis and management of mental health problems and potentially yield significant psychosocial benefits.
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