Efficacy of a WeChat Public Account-based Intervention for Smartphone Addiction Among Chinese Undergraduate Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy of a WeChat Public Account-based Intervention for Smartphone Addiction Among Chinese Undergraduate Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effectiveness of an intervention based on the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model to treat smartphone addiction in college students. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does the IMB model-based intervention via WeChat public accounts significantly reduce smartphone addiction scores compared to a control group? Does the intervention lead to an increase in motivation and behavioral skills scores among participants? Researchers will compare the intervention group, which receives IMB-enhanced content through WeChat public accounts, to the control group, which maintains regular activities, to see if there are significant improvements in addiction scores, motivation, and behavioral skills in the intervention group.
Participants will:
Be stratified by gender and randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group.
The intervention group will receive information, motivation, and behavioral skills enhancement via WeChat public accounts over a period of 6 weeks.
Both groups will be assessed for smartphone addiction scores, information-motivation-behavioral skills scores, average daily smartphone use time, sleep duration, sleep quality, and somatic and psychological symptoms before and after the intervention.
Inclusion Criteria:
Meeting the criteria of the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), with a score of ≥31 for males and ≥33 for females indicating smartphone addiction.
College students over 18 years old. Active use of WeChat software. Voluntary participation in this study and signing of the informed consent form.
Exclusion Criteria:
Currently not enrolled in school due to reasons such as suspension. Currently participating in other research projects. Self-reported diagnosis of any neurological or psychiatric disorder.