Digital Technology Use, Digit Ratio, and Handgrip Strength in University Students

Overview

This observational cross-sectional study examined associations among second-to-fourth digit ratio, handgrip strength, problematic smartphone-use symptoms, problematic Internet-use symptoms, and self-reported smartphone usage time in university students from different regional backgrounds. The analytic sample included 173 students aged 17-26 years from Turkish, Middle Asian, African, and Asian regional backgrounds. Participants completed validated self-report scales for smartphone-use and Internet-use symptoms, and underwent anthropometric, hand morphology, and handgrip strength measurements. The study did not involve randomization, treatment assignment, intervention, or follow-up.

This exploratory observational cross-sectional study evaluated whether bilateral second-to-fourth digit ratio and handgrip strength were associated with smartphone-addiction symptom scores, Internet-addiction symptom scores, and self-reported smartphone usage time among university students from different regional backgrounds. The final analytic sample consisted of 173 participants aged 17-26 years, including Turkish, Middle Asian, African, and Asian students. Regional-background comparisons and sex-specific associations were analyzed using descriptive statistics, group comparisons, correlation analyses, and sensitivity analyses adjusted for age and body mass index. The study was observational only and did not include any intervention, random allocation, treatment exposure, clinical procedure, or prospective follow-up.

Conditions