An examination of the relationship between social media addiction, physical activity, and sleep quality among high school students

This study aimed to examine the relationship between social media addiction, physical activity, and sleep quality among high school students. The inclusion of physical activity in the study was considered significant as it provided a different perspective compared to the few studies conducted in Turkey. The sample consisted of 292 high school students aged 13-18 attending three high schools in the Aziziye district of Erzurum during the 2024-2025 academic year. A correlational survey model was used in the research. A four-part questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. The first part was a personal information form prepared by the researcher and their advisor, aiming to gather information about the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants. The second part of the questionnaire used the Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents, developed by Özgenel et al. (2019), to measure the participants' levels of social media addiction. The scale consisted of 9 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (Never-1, Rarely-2, Sometimes-3, Mostly-4, Always-5). There were no items with reverse scores on the scale. The scale allows for a minimum score of 9 and a maximum score of 45. To obtain a total score, all responses to the items are summed. The third section of the questionnaire uses the PDCA test, developed by Buysee et al. (1989) and validated and proven in Turkish by Ağargün et al. (1996), to measure participants' sleep quality over a one-month period. The PDCA is a questionnaire consisting of seven items: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, sleep medication use, and daytime functional impairment. The PDCA includes 18 items in its scoring (Buysse et al., 1991). The PDCA consists of seven components: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, sleep medication use, and daytime functional impairment. The fourth section of the questionnaire uses the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, developed by Craig et al. (2003), to measure participants' physical activity levels. This short form of the questionnaire provides information about the time spent walking, moderate, and vigorous activities. The questionnaire includes questions about at least 10 minutes of physical activity performed in the past week. The results are calculated by multiplying the minutes, days, and MET values to obtain a score in the form of "MET-minutes/week". The study results showed that, according to gender, female participants had higher average social media addiction and sleep quality compared to male participants. A higher average sleep quality score indicates poorer overall sleep quality. Physical activity levels were higher among male participants compared to female participants. Regarding age, participants aged 17 and over had higher average social media addiction, physical activity levels, and sleep quality. In terms of marital status, those whose parents were married had higher physical activity levels, while those whose parents were divorced had higher average social media addiction and sleep quality. Finally, in response to the question of how many years participants had been involved in sports, those who had been involved for 0-2 years had higher social media addiction, those who had been involved for 6 years or more had higher physical activity levels, and those who had been involved for 3-5 years had higher average sleep quality. The data obtained in this research were discussed in relation to the literature, and recommendations were made.