Introduction:

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it changes in human behavior and psychic conditions that affect mental health.

Objective:

Estimate smartphone addiction in female adolescents after COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study, conducted during November to December 2022, in a public educational institution in Ica, Peru. A total of 581 adolescents participated and answered a questionnaire with general variables and the Smartphone Addiction Scale. A descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis was applied using Poisson family generalized linear models to evaluate the association between variables.

Results:

Of the participants, 21.7% revealed addiction to smartphones and 48.7% were at high risk of dependence on these devices. Family conflicts at home (adjusted prevalence ratio-RPa = 1.41; 95% confidence interval-CI: 1.00-1.99) and feelings of shame (RPa = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.01-2.03), were associated with higher smartphone addiction. However, feelings of sadness, anxiety or depression and feeling rejected by society showed an unadjusted association.

Conclusions:

Smartphone addiction and risk for this disorder is high in adolescent girls; there are general variables amenable to modification that could diminish such a behavioral condition induced or potentiated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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