Moderated mediation model of the association between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease within Moroccan adolescents

Abstract This study scrutinizes the mediating role of sleep disturbance in the relationship between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease and examines the moderating role of physical activity. A total of 2202 high school students from twelve regions of Morocco completed the Smartphone Addic...

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Main Authors: Samira Bouazza, Samira Abbouyi, Btissame Zarrouq
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11060-4
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author Samira Bouazza
Samira Abbouyi
Btissame Zarrouq
author_facet Samira Bouazza
Samira Abbouyi
Btissame Zarrouq
author_sort Samira Bouazza
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This study scrutinizes the mediating role of sleep disturbance in the relationship between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease and examines the moderating role of physical activity. A total of 2202 high school students from twelve regions of Morocco completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the Dry Eye Questionnaire-5 (DEQ-5). Participants were also asked to rate the number of days per week during which they performed physical activity for at least 60 min. Our findings indicated that 50% of participants were problematic smartphone users, 39.3% suffered from dry eye disease and 38.3% suffered from sleep problems. The results suggested that sleep disorder mediated partially the relationship between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease. Physical activity (at least 180 min per week) influenced the relationship between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease. Specifically, it moderated both the direct link between smartphone use and dry eye, and the indirect link mediated by sleep disorders. This moderating effect was significant (index = − 0.0218, 95% CI [− 0.0260, − 0.0173]). These results offer valuable insights for preventing and managing sleep disturbances and dry eye disease linked to problematic smartphone use.
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spelling doaj-art-e398513b99114ba7ba8b4e459e5f44ea2025-08-20T03:43:21ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-011511910.1038/s41598-025-11060-4Moderated mediation model of the association between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease within Moroccan adolescentsSamira Bouazza0Samira Abbouyi1Btissame Zarrouq2Laboratory of Epidemiology and Research in Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dental Medicine, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah UniversityLaboratory of Epidemiology and Research in Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dental Medicine, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah UniversityLaboratory of Scientific Innovation in Sustainability, Environment, Education, and Health in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, Teachers Training College (Ecole Normale Superieure), Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah UniversityAbstract This study scrutinizes the mediating role of sleep disturbance in the relationship between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease and examines the moderating role of physical activity. A total of 2202 high school students from twelve regions of Morocco completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the Dry Eye Questionnaire-5 (DEQ-5). Participants were also asked to rate the number of days per week during which they performed physical activity for at least 60 min. Our findings indicated that 50% of participants were problematic smartphone users, 39.3% suffered from dry eye disease and 38.3% suffered from sleep problems. The results suggested that sleep disorder mediated partially the relationship between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease. Physical activity (at least 180 min per week) influenced the relationship between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease. Specifically, it moderated both the direct link between smartphone use and dry eye, and the indirect link mediated by sleep disorders. This moderating effect was significant (index = − 0.0218, 95% CI [− 0.0260, − 0.0173]). These results offer valuable insights for preventing and managing sleep disturbances and dry eye disease linked to problematic smartphone use.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11060-4Problematic smartphone usePhysical activityDry eye diseaseSleep disturbanceHigh school students
spellingShingle Samira Bouazza
Samira Abbouyi
Btissame Zarrouq
Moderated mediation model of the association between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease within Moroccan adolescents
Scientific Reports
Problematic smartphone use
Physical activity
Dry eye disease
Sleep disturbance
High school students
title Moderated mediation model of the association between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease within Moroccan adolescents
title_full Moderated mediation model of the association between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease within Moroccan adolescents
title_fullStr Moderated mediation model of the association between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease within Moroccan adolescents
title_full_unstemmed Moderated mediation model of the association between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease within Moroccan adolescents
title_short Moderated mediation model of the association between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease within Moroccan adolescents
title_sort moderated mediation model of the association between problematic smartphone use and dry eye disease within moroccan adolescents
topic Problematic smartphone use
Physical activity
Dry eye disease
Sleep disturbance
High school students
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11060-4
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AT samiraabbouyi moderatedmediationmodeloftheassociationbetweenproblematicsmartphoneuseanddryeyediseasewithinmoroccanadolescents
AT btissamezarrouq moderatedmediationmodeloftheassociationbetweenproblematicsmartphoneuseanddryeyediseasewithinmoroccanadolescents