Alomairah Saud Abdulaziz, Carras Michelle Colder, Aljuboori Dahlia, Saquib Juliann, Saquib Nazmus, Date Mayank, Kim Kyeongwon, Aldayel Faisal, Kaufman Michelle R, Clary Laura K, van der Rijst Vincent G, Tuijnman Anouk, van Rooij Antonius J, Alsogaih Nahlah, Al-Zabidi Faisal Z, Albeyahi Fahad S, Thrul Johannes
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, 21205, USA.
Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Jul 14;25(1):2451. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-23674-4.
In Saudi Arabia, the rapid growth of digital media and smartphone use has raised concerns about problematic usage and its impacts on well-being, especially among young people. Research on stakeholder perspectives regarding intervention strategies remains limited.
This study aimed to gather insights from societal stakeholders, including youth, parents, policymakers, industry leaders, clinicians, educators, and digital media users, to inform culturally tailored interventions for digital well-being in Saudi Arabia.
A purposeful non-random sample of 92 participants representing different stakeholder groups was recruited to complete an online survey, answering questions about their experiences and perspectives on digital media use. Primary stakeholder group was assigned based on participant self-selection. We analyzed distributions of categorical variables related to media use time, reasons for use, impacts, self-regulation strategies, and perceived effectiveness of interventions (e.g., education programs, media campaigns, Internet use restrictions).
Of the participants, 63.0% were male, and 46.7% were under 25 years old. Regular digital media users, individuals with problematic Internet use, and clinicians/health professionals comprised 26.1%, 18.5%, and 18.5% of respondents, respectively. Extensive screen time was common, with 47.8% reporting four or more hours of recreational digital use on weekdays and 56.6% on weekends. Participants reported both positive impacts (e.g., social connections, school/work performance) and negative impacts (e.g., sleep disruption, reduced physical activity) of digital media use. Efforts to regulate media use were reported by 72.8%, with strategies like deleting apps or digital detoxes. At least 50.0% of participants endorsed all proposed intervention approaches as likely effective for improving digital well-being, with educational programs for parents, school programs, and regulatory apps receiving over 75.0% support. Children and adolescents were seen as key target groups for these interventions.
Findings from this diverse stakeholder sample suggest that digital well-being interventions in Saudi Arabia should prioritize youth, focusing on education-based approaches and apps for media regulation. Incorporating these perspectives can lead to culturally relevant interventions addressing the unique challenges of digital media use in Saudi Arabia. The generalizability of the findings may be limited due to sample size and potential overrepresentation of certain stakeholder groups.
在沙特阿拉伯，数字媒体和智能手机使用的迅速增长引发了对问题使用及其对幸福感影响的担忧，尤其是在年轻人中。关于利益相关者对干预策略看法的研究仍然有限。
本研究旨在收集包括青年、家长、政策制定者、行业领袖、临床医生、教育工作者和数字媒体用户在内的社会利益相关者的见解，为沙特阿拉伯数字健康方面的文化定制干预提供信息。
招募了一个有目的的非随机样本，由92名代表不同利益相关者群体的参与者组成，以完成一项在线调查，回答关于他们在数字媒体使用方面的经历和看法的问题。主要利益相关者群体根据参与者的自我选择来确定。我们分析了与媒体使用时间、使用原因、影响、自我调节策略以及干预措施（如教育项目、媒体宣传活动、互联网使用限制）的感知有效性相关的分类变量的分布情况。
参与者中63.0%为男性，46.7%年龄在25岁以下。经常使用数字媒体的用户、有问题的互联网使用者以及临床医生/健康专业人员分别占受访者的26.1%、18.5%和18.5%。大量的屏幕使用时间很常见，47.8%的人报告工作日有四个或更多小时的娱乐性数字媒体使用时间，56.6%的人报告周末有这么长时间。参与者报告了数字媒体使用的积极影响（如社交联系、学校/工作表现）和消极影响（如睡眠中断、身体活动减少）。72.8%的人报告采取了规范媒体使用的措施，如删除应用程序或进行数字排毒。至少50.0%的参与者认可所有提议的干预方法可能对改善数字健康有效，针对家长的教育项目、学校项目和监管应用程序获得了超过75.0%的支持。儿童和青少年被视为这些干预措施的关键目标群体。
来自这个多样化利益相关者样本的结果表明，沙特阿拉伯的数字健康干预措施应优先考虑青年，侧重于基于教育的方法和媒体监管应用程序。纳入这些观点可以带来与文化相关的干预措施，以应对沙特阿拉伯数字媒体使用的独特挑战。由于样本量和某些利益相关者群体可能存在的过度代表性，研究结果的普遍性可能有限。
