A Cross-Sectional Survey Study to Assess the Smart Phone Usage and Academic Performance in Medical Professional Students at National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur

Introduction: Smartphones are integral to modern life, but excessive use can lead to addiction, affecting mental and physical health, especially in youth. While many studies examine smartphone use among college students, research on medical professional students remains limited. This study aims to bridge this gap by evaluating the impact of smartphone usage on the academic performance of medical students at the National Institute of Ayurveda, Deemed University, Jaipur, Rajasthan. The primary objective of this study is to assess the influence of smartphone usage on the academic performance of medical professional students at the National Institute of Ayurveda, Deemed University, Jaipur, Rajasthan. Materials and Methods: A two-year cross-sectional survey was conducted among 550 randomly selected medical students (255 males, 295 females, aged 18-50). A structured questionnaire assessed smartphone usage and its perceived academic impact, with data analyzed using Excel. Results: Most of the participants were females (53.64%). Among the various uses of smartphones, 32.18% of participants reported using their smartphones primarily for communication. WhatsApp emerged as the most used mobile application, with 45.63% of participants utilizing it regularly. Additionally, Kriya Sharir (~Ayurveda Physiology) was identified as the most interesting subject by 14% of the respondents. Conclusion: The study identified the advantageous dimensions of smartphone utilization among medical professional students with judicious use. This underscores the need for responsible use and self-regulation. Limitations include self-reported data, self-structured and adopted and without validated questionnaire, recall bias, descriptive statistics and a cross-sectional design that limits causal inference.