Smartphone addiction screening status and associated physical and neuropsychological symptoms among Syrian university students: a cross-sectional study

Smartphone addiction (SPA) has emerged as a growing public health concern, especially among university students, due to long usage times and the possibility of being affected both physically and neuropsychologically. With little research on these connections in the literature, this study bridges the gap by examining these associations within a single framework in Syria. A cross-sectional online survey in Arabic was conducted to determine the prevalence and associations of SPA among Syrian university students, using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). Self-reported instruments assessed neck pain, ocular complaints, fatigue, cognitive failures, and ADHD-related symptoms using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), and Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), respectively. Data were collected via Google Forms from November to December 2025. Of 1024 participants, 59% were females, 63.6% were students in the medical field, and 60.6% met the criteria for SPA. After adjustment, SPA was associated with higher odds of dry eye symptoms (aOR = 2.78; 95% CI, 2.08–3.71; p < 0.001), neck pain-related disability (aOR = 1.97; 95% CI, 1.38–2.81; p < 0.001), fatigue (aOR = 4.08; 95% CI, 3.03–5.50; p < 0.001), as well as higher cognitive failure scores (β = 5.95; 95% CI, 4.60–7.31; p < 0.001) and higher likelihood of exceeding ADHD screening cut-off (aOR = 4.30; 95% CI, 3.17–5.82; p < 0.001). SPA screening status was associated with a higher burden of physical and neuropsychological symptoms among university students. These cross-sectional associations support public health strategies that promote healthier digital behaviours.