Predicting Smartphone Addiction Trajectories in Korean Adolescents: A Longitudinal Analysis of Protective and Risk Factors Based on a National Survey from 2018 to 2020

This longitudinal study aimed to identify the role of psychosocial factors affecting smartphone addiction (SA) among Korean adolescents and predict the trajectory of SA based on the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) 2018 to 2020. The dependent variable is SA score as measured by the Korean Smartphone Addiction Propensity Scale (SAPS), and the independent variables are psychosocial factors (attention, grit, life satisfaction, self-esteem, aggression, depression, social withdrawal and physical symptom). Generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis (adjusted for covariates) results indicated that attention (B = −0.346, P < .001), grit (B = −0.402, P < .001), life satisfaction (B = −0.150, P < .001), and self-esteem (B = −0.099, P < .001) were protective factors for reducing SA score. Conversely, aggression (B = 0.222, P < .001) and depression (B = 0.067, P = .005) were predicted to be risk factors for increasing SA score. A better understanding of the relationship between behavioral addiction and psychosocial development factors in adolescence will assist in the development of more effective prevention and treatment strategies.