One-year update on physical activity and smartphone addiction in university students: A systematic review of novel research

Abstract

Objectives

Smartphone addiction is a growing health concern, especially among university students. This updated review expands our 2024 review by synthesizing recent empirical findings on the relationship between physical activity and smartphone addiction among university students.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, a thorough search was conducted in PubMed, SSRN, Oxford Research Archive, JSTOR, and Google Scholar. The quality of studies was evaluated with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

Results

Sixteen studies published between January 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, met the inclusion criteria: 14 cross-sectional, one randomized controlled trial, and one longitudinal. All emerged from Asia. Most found an inverse relationship between physical activity and smartphone addiction. Experimental and longitudinal studies indicated that structured physical activity could reduce smartphone addiction symptoms over time. However, the predominantly correlational designs warrant cautious interpretation. Still, the directionally consistent average effect size was moderate to large (Cohen's d = ≈ −0.62), highlighting physical activity's protective role.

Conclusions

Regular physical activity may prevent or reduce smartphone addiction in university students. However, future studies should employ longitudinal designs, use objective measures, and incorporate qualitative validation. This review reinforces our earlier findings and supports the considerable inverse relationship between physical activity and smartphone addiction.