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Anxiety about COVID-19 Infection, and Its Relation to Smartphone Addiction and Demographic Variables in Middle Eastern Countries

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  • Mohammad Farhan Al. Qudah

    (Department of Psychology, College of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

  • Ismael Salamah Albursan

    (Department of Psychology, College of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

  • Heba Ibraheem Hammad

    (Department of Psychology, AL Balqa Applied University Princess Alia College, Amman 11821, Jordan)

  • Ahmad Mohammad Alzoubi

    (Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 364, United Arab Emirates)

  • Salaheldin Farah Bakhiet

    (Department of Special Education, College of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh 11567, Saudi Arabia)

  • Abdullah M. Almanie

    (Department of Educational Administration, College of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

  • Soltan S. Alenizi

    (Department of Psychology, College of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

  • Suliman S. Aljomaa

    (Department of Psychology, College of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

  • Mohammed M. Al-Khadher

    (Department of Psychology, College of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

This study explores the level and frequency of anxiety about COVID-19 infection in some Middle Eastern countries, and differences in this anxiety by country, gender, workplace, and social status. Another aim was to identify the predictive power of anxiety about COVID-19 infection, daily smartphone use hours, and age in smartphone addiction. The participants were 651 males and females from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt. The participants’ ages ranged between 18 and 73 years (M 33.36, SD = 10.69). A questionnaire developed by the authors was used to examine anxiety about COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, the Italian Smartphone Addiction Inventory was used after being translated, adapted, and validated for the purposes of the present study. The results revealed that the percentages of participants with high, average, and low anxiety about COVID-19 infection were 10.3%, 37.3%, and 52.4%, respectively. The mean scores of anxiety about COVID-19 infection in the four countries were average: Egypt (M = 2.655), Saudi Arabia (M = 2.458), the United Arab Emirates (M = 2.413), and Jordan (M = 2.336). Significant differences in anxiety about COVID-19 infection were found between Egypt and Jordan, in favor of Egypt. Significant gender differences were found in favor of females in the Jordanian and Egyptian samples, and in favor of males in the Emirati sample. No significant differences were found regarding workplace and social status. The results also revealed a significant positive relationship between anxiety about COVID-19 infection, daily smartphone use hours, and age on the one hand, and smartphone addiction on the other. The strongest predictor of smartphone addiction was anxiety about COVID-19 infection, followed by daily use hours. Age did not significantly contribute to the prediction of smartphone addiction. The study findings shed light on the psychological health and cognitive aspects of anxiety about COVID-19 infection and its relation to smartphone addiction.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammad Farhan Al. Qudah & Ismael Salamah Albursan & Heba Ibraheem Hammad & Ahmad Mohammad Alzoubi & Salaheldin Farah Bakhiet & Abdullah M. Almanie & Soltan S. Alenizi & Suliman S. Aljomaa & Mohammed, 2021. "Anxiety about COVID-19 Infection, and Its Relation to Smartphone Addiction and Demographic Variables in Middle Eastern Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-14, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11016-:d:660587
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cuiyan Wang & Riyu Pan & Xiaoyang Wan & Yilin Tan & Linkang Xu & Cyrus S. Ho & Roger C. Ho, 2020. "Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-25, March.
    2. Aleksandar Višnjić & Vladica Veličković & Dušan Sokolović & Miodrag Stanković & Kristijan Mijatović & Miodrag Stojanović & Zoran Milošević & Olivera Radulović, 2018. "Relationship between the Manner of Mobile Phone Use and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-11, April.
    3. Sijia Li & Yilin Wang & Jia Xue & Nan Zhao & Tingshao Zhu, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 Epidemic Declaration on Psychological Consequences: A Study on Active Weibo Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-9, March.
    4. Cristina Mazza & Eleonora Ricci & Silvia Biondi & Marco Colasanti & Stefano Ferracuti & Christian Napoli & Paolo Roma, 2020. "A Nationwide Survey of Psychological Distress among Italian People during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-14, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lili Chen & Jun Li & Jianhao Huang, 2022. "COVID-19 Victimization Experience and College Students’ Mobile Phone Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Effect of Future Anxiety and Mindfulness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-16, June.

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