Impact of Information Booklet on Knowledge of the Effects of Mobile Phone Use among Adolescents: A Pre-Experimental Study

Abstract

: Background: Mobile phone use among adolescents is widespread, but young users are seldom taught how heavy use may affect their health, schoolwork and relationships. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of a self-instructional information booklet on adolescents' knowledge of the effects of mobile phone use, and to examine whether baseline knowledge differed by personal and family characteristics. Methods: A one-group pre-test post-test pre-experimental study was conducted in a Kannada-medium school in Mangaluru, India (March – April 2022). Sixty-two students aged 12 – 14 years were selected at random. They completed a 27-item multiple-choice knowledge questionnaire (content-validated by 11 experts; split-half r = 0.75), read a Kannada information booklet, and were re-tested after seven days. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the paired t-test and the chi-square test. Results: Mean knowledge scores rose from 11.87 ± 2.43 (44.0%) to 18.69 ± 1.66 (69.2%), a mean gain of 6.82 points (95% CI 6.04 – 7.60; t(61) = 17.50, p < 0.001; Cohen's dz = 2.22). At baseline no student had good knowledge and 17.7% had poor knowledge; at post-test 56.5% had good, 43.5% average and none poor knowledge. Although 82.3% reported that they already knew about the effects of mobile phone use, this was not associated with baseline scores. Baseline knowledge was higher among younger students (p = 0.003) and girls (p = 0.006); no association was found with religion, residence, parental education or occupation, family income, daily phone use or data use. Conclusion: A short, locally adapted booklet was followed by a large short-term gain in knowledge. Because the design had no control group and follow-up was seven days, the effect should be confirmed in controlled studies with longer follow-up and behavioural outcomes.