Evaluation of the relationship between social media addiction and sleep quality in adult patients admitted to primary healthcare services

Aim: The study included people over the age of 18 years who applied to primary healthcare services in the province of Antalya, agreed to participate in the study and gave consent. It was aimed to evaluate the relationship between social media addiction and sleep quality in adults. In the results of the study; awareness can be created in society and behavioral changes can be formed by informing individuals with social media addiction and sleep quality problems. Method: Our study, which is a descriptive and cross-sectional study, was conducted face-to-face via a questionnaire. The participants who agreed to participate in the study were administered the sociodemographic characteristics form, the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS) to measure their social media addiction level, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to determine their sleep quality, using a face-to-face interview technique. Data were analysed using the IBM SPSS 23.0 program. Statistical significance level was accepted as p<0.05. Results: The mean age of the individuals participating in the study was 39.23±13.04 years. 52.2% (n=133) of the participants were male. A total of 52.5% were married and 55.3% were university graduates. All participants had social media accounts, with the most frequently used platforms being WhatsApp (96.9%), Instagram (87.1%), Facebook (67.1%), and YouTube (61.6%), respectively. The most common daily social media usage duration was identified as 1-3 hours (43.9%). The mean total score of the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS) was found to be 53.09±12.98. The mean total score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was 6.57±3.27. Social media addiction was significantly higher among single individuals, those who did not have children, those who used sleeping pill, those who consumed coffee within an hour before sleeping, those who ate before sleeping, those who woke up at night to eat, those who took short naps during the day, and those in the low happiness group (p<0.05). SMAS total scores were significantly higher among users of Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat (p<0.05). Sleep quality was found to be poorer among individuals with diagnosed psychiatric disorders, those using regular medication, those using sleeping pills, those consuming coffee within an hour before sleeping, those eating before sleep, those waking up to eat at night, those taking short naps during the day, those not exercising regularly, those working night shifts, those in the high-stress group, and those in the low happiness group (p<0.05). PSQI total scores were found to be higher among users of YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and LinkedIn (p<0.05). Individuals who spent more than four hours a day on social media had significantly higher PSQI total scores (p<0.001). SMAS and PSQI total scores showed significant differences in the parameters "checking social media accounts before sleep," "daily duration of social media use," and "checking social media as the first activity in the morning" (p<0.05). A generally low-level, positive, and significant correlation was found between all SMAS subscale scores and the PSQI total score (p<0.05). Conclusion: In the study, statistically significant and negative relationship was found between social media addiction and sleep quality. Poor sleep quality can negatively affect individuals' quality of life and overall health. In line with the results of the study, one way to prevent these negative outcomes is to carry out awareness-raising activities aimed at reducing social media addiction, thereby improving individuals' quality of life. Keywords: Social media addiction, Sleep quality, Adults