Exercise Interventions on Problematic Mobile Phone Use: a Multi-arm Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of Aerobic Exercise or Tai Chi Chuan Interventions on Problematic Mobile Phone Use and the Potential Role of Intestinal Flora: a Multi-arm Randomized Controlled Trial

Problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) has been described as a growing public health issue. This randomized controlled trial aimed to determine if aerobic exercise or Tai Chi Chuan as compared to the wait-list control group decreased PMPU-related symptoms; and to analyze the composition of the intestinal flora in the three study groups to explore the correlation between PMPU scores and flora species. A consecutive sample of 90 college students with PMPU was randomized to the aerobic exercise group (AE group, n = 30), the Tai Chi Chuan group (TCC group, n = 30), or the wait-list control group (WLC group, n = 30). The primary outcome was addiction symptoms, i.e., the PMPU score as assessed by the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). Secondary outcomes were the emotion-related symptoms (depression, anxiety, self-esteem and self-efficacy), and physical-related symptoms (sleep quality, physical-fatigue and mental-fatigue). Intervention effects were analyzed via generalized estimated equation analysis (GEE).

Inclusion Criteria:

• (1) be 18 years or older; (2) college students; (3) fulfill the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) criteria for PMPU; (4) have a low level of daily physical activity.

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) regular practice of moderate and higher intensity exercise (Physical activity was measured using the Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), which is a 3-item self-reported scale comprising intensity, duration and frequency [14]. Exercise was considered to be of more than moderate intensity when the PARS-3 scores was >42); (2) any major disease (cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and musculoskeletal disorder) that can affect them to participate in exercise training; (3) any gastrointestinal diseases and other diseases affecting intestinal bacteria; and (4) any severe mental illness (e.g., depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder).