Evaluating Problematic Smartphone Use Among Chinese Primary School Students Using SABAS: An IRT and Network Analysis

TL;DR

This study evaluates a smartphone addiction scale for Chinese primary school students using advanced statistical methods to ensure its reliability and validity.

Contribution

The study introduces a validated and reliable scale for assessing problematic smartphone use in Chinese primary school students using IRT and Network Analysis.

Findings

SABAS showed a unidimensional structure with strong psychometric properties (RMSEA = 0.055, CFI = 0.984).

A cut-off score of 27 identified 1.7% of students as high-risk for problematic smartphone use.

Gender differences were found in item 6, with boys showing higher relapse tendencies.

Abstract

This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Smartphone Application‐Based Addiction Scale (SABAS) among Chinese primary school students, focusing on validity, reliability, and factor structure using Item Response Theory (IRT) and Network Analysis (NA).

Data were collected from 1108 primary school students in China (52.98% female; ages 7–14 years; M = 10.58, SD = 0.99). SABAS was assessed using Item Response Theory (IRT) for factor structure, item parameters, cut‐off scores, and reliability, while Differential Item Functioning (DIF) detected gender biases. Network Analysis (NA) examined the interrelationships among SABAS items.

Confirmatory factor analysis supported SABAS's unidimensional structure (RMSEA = 0.055, CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.973, SRMR = 0.025). IRT indicated high item discrimination (α = 1.47–2.47) and identified a cut‐off score of 27, classifying 1.7% of students as high‐risk for problematic smartphone use. Gender DIF was noted in item 6, with boys showing higher relapse tendencies (p < 0.05). NA highlighted the centrality of tolerance and withdrawal items.

SABAS is a reliable tool for assessing problematic smartphone use in Chinese primary school students, particularly those at moderate to high risk.

Figures