Smartphone addiction can have negative consequences for well-being, mental health, and academic performance among university students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the influence of smart-phone addiction on nomophobia, academic performance, and the intention to drop out among university students. A quantitative study with a cross-sectional explanatory design was conducted, involving 452 male and female students from a private university in Metropolitan Lima. The results showed that smartphone addiction has a direct and significant effect on nomophobia (beta = .65, p < .001) and dropout intention (beta = .32, p < .001), as well as an inverse and significant effect on academic performance (beta =-.23, p < .001). In conclusion, smartphone addiction may have a detrimental impact on mental health and academic achievement among Peruvian university students.
Problematic smartphone use has garnered increasing attention due to its negative impact on mental health and overall well-being. To assess this behavior, the Problematic Use of Mobile Phones Scale (PUMP) was developed. This study aimed to adapt the PUMP into Spanish for use in a Colombian population through a translation-back-translation process and psychometric evaluation, as no version of the instrument existed in this language. Following content adaptation, 311 Colombian adults completed the PUMP, the other measures of technological use, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported the scale's unidimensional structure. There were significant correlations with the internet (r = .66), mobile (r = .65), and social media (r = .58) use. The PUMP also demonstrated strong internal consistency (alpha = .91, omega = .91). No evidence of differential item functioning (DIF) was found by sex or age; however, two items may reflect DIF by educational level. These findings suggest that the Colombian version of the PUMP demonstrates solid validity and reliability. Further refinement of the items and consideration of residual covariances may improve the model's performance and support its broader application in Spanish-speaking populations.
In a context where the use of electronic devices is increasingly common and physical activity levels among schoolchildren tend to be low, concern arises about their potential impact on the development of social skills. This study analyzes how these variables influence communication skills, assertiveness, and conflict resolution in primary and secondary school students. The research included a sample of 1.020 students from Extremadura, with 40 % boys and 60 % girls. Results show that only 34.3 % of the students meet the WHO recommendation of 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Correlations indicate that higher physical activity is positively associated with improved communication and conflict resolution skills (rho = .140, p < .001), while excessive electronic device usage (an average of 2.73 hours per day) is negatively related to the quality of communication skills (rho =-0.172, p < .001). These findings highlight the importance of promoting physical activity and moderating screen time to support balanced socio-emotional development in school settings.
Virtual education has grown considerably in universities, especially driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although some institutions already offered this modality, many faced challenges such as lack of teaching skills, deficiencies in the design of study materials, and technological limitations, resulting in high student dropout rates. The purpose of the study was to develop and analyze the psychometric properties of the Virtual Learning Media Satisfaction Scale (ESMAV) composed of three factors: 1) Teaching content, 2) Teaching skills, and 3) Virtual platform. The sample consisted of a total of 713 Peruvian adults, with 313 in the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and 400 in the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), aged between 17 and 36 years, selected through accidental or consecutive non-probabilistic sampling. The results of the CFA demonstrated an internal structure of three latent factors with adequate fit indices (CFI = .93, TLI = .92, SRMR = .048, RMSEA = .053 [90% IC: .048-.059]). In addition, the internal consistency of the scale demonstrated adequate reliability (> .80) through the ordinal alpha and omega coefficients. It is concluded that the ESMAV presents adequate psychometric properties to evaluate satisfaction with synchronous virtual learning teaching aids in Peruvian university students.
In current education, promoting healthy habits from school and adapting to the methodological, technological, and psychological demands of a digitally native student body is essential. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of Active Breaks with Digital Storytelling on academic motivation, the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, flow state, and content assimilation, considering context, gender, and age, as well as to examine teachers' perceptions regarding this implementation. A longitudinal quasi-experimental design with pre-and post-intervention measurements was used on a sample of 808 students (391 girls and 417 boys) aged 9-13 (M = 10.4, SD = 1.04) from 16 educational centers in Toledo, Spain. The results showed significant improvements in intrinsic motivation, basic psychological needs, flow and content assimilation, highlighting its impact on both genders, students from urban and younger backgrounds. Likewise, the teaching staff considered the implementation of Active Breaks with Digital Storytelling to be effective and feasible, highlighting its ability to motivate students and enhance learning. The findings showed that Active Breaks with Digital Storytelling represent an effective strategy to improve motivation, educational immersion, psychological well-being, and academic performance in Primary Education.
