Digital Occupational Balance and Addiction in University Students

Official title

Establishing Occupational Balance in the Digital World: An Analysis of Digital Addiction Through an Educational Intervention for University Students

Overview

Young people, who constitute approximately 1.7 billion of the global population, are significantly affected by screen exposure, cyberbullying, and various digital challenges. These issues alter young individuals' participation in daily life activities, increase levels of digital addiction, and disrupt occupational balance, leading to negative consequences for social and personal well-being. The deterioration of occupational balance may adversely affect youths' overall well-being, highlighting the need for occupational therapists to develop preventive and protective interventions for this population. The proposed research is grounded in potential occupational therapy interventions targeting young people in Türkiye. Previous studies have demonstrated that technological advancements play a determining role in young individuals' daily lives. Considering that this situation may also influence academic performance, the present study has been designed to examine the effects of digital addiction on occupational competence and occupational balance among university students. The study will employ a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Digital Addiction Scale, the Occupational Self-Assessment, and the Activity-Role Balance Questionnaire. Following these assessments, participants will receive a structured educational intervention delivered by an expert instructor, focusing on the appropriate, safe, and meaningful use of technology. The effectiveness of the training will also be evaluated. The target population of the study consists of individuals currently enrolled in higher education. The research will be conducted with students from Istanbul Gelisim University, located in the Avcılar district of Istanbul. The findings of this project are expected to provide occupational therapy students and practicing occupational therapists with an updated perspective on healthy technology use. In this context, practicing occupational therapists will contribute to the scientific development of the country.

Interventions

• Behavioral Occupational Balance-Focused Digital Well-Being Education Program
  A structured educational intervention delivered by a licensed occupational therapist to promote healthy and meaningful technology use among university students. The program focuses on increasing awareness of digital addiction and understanding its impact on daily life activities, occupational competence, and occupational balance. The session includes psychoeducation about problematic smartphone and social media use, screen-time awareness, time management strategies, and practical techniques to s

Primary outcome measures

• Digital Addiction Scale (DAS) [Time frame: 1 month]

Secondary outcome measures (2)

• Occupational Balance Questionnaire - Turkish Version (OBQ11-T / ARDA11-T) [Time frame: 1 month]
• Occupational Self Assessment (OSA, Version 2.2) [Time frame: 1 month]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

Voluntary participation in the study

Being between 18 and 24 years of age

Currently enrolled as a university student

Ability to read and understand Turkish

Exclusion criteria

Diagnosis of specific learning disability

Diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Being employed in addition to being a student

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

N/A

Model

Single group

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Prevention

Study locations

Turkey (Türkiye) · 1 center

• Istanbul Medipol University — Istanbul

Publications

• Bailey, E., Boland, A., Bell, I., Nicholas, J., Sala, L. L., & Robinson, J. (2022). The mental health and social media use of young australians during the covid-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1077. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031077 Baron K, Kielhofner G. A User's Manual for the Occupational Self Assessment (OSA)(Version 2.2): Model of Hu
• Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: domain and process. Am J Occup Ther. 2002 Nov-Dec;56(6):609-39. No abstract available. PMID 12458855

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07454278 · E-10840098-202.3.02-2973

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗