Validation of the Arabic Short Version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale (A-SAS-SV) Among the Saudi Population

Mohammed Ali Alghamdi

Background and Objective: Smartphone use has expanded rapidly and is now central to daily functioning, particularly among young adults. This study aims to validate the Arabic short version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale (A-SAS-SV) among the Saudi population by examining its reliability, construct validity and psychometric properties to ensure its suitability for assessing smartphone addiction in this cultural context. Materials and Methods: The study sample included 403 subjects (267 males, 136 females) with an age range from 16 to 28 years (M = 21.109, SD = 1.53; M = 21.097, SD = 1.493 for males; M = 21.132, SD =1.605 for females). To test construct validity of this scale, Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed and, t-tests were employed to test the differences in AN between gender and age groups. The prevalence rates of SAS-SV were calculated using percentages. The shortened version of Smartphone Addiction Scale was used for this purpose. Statistical analyses were conducted at a significance level of p<0.05. Results: The coefficients for the confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that all indexes had a good model fit, suggesting further evidence of construct validity of the scale. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.848 suggested a good internal consistency. There were no gender specific statistically significant differences. Age differences that were significantly in favor of the younger group noted indicate that levels of smartphone addiction increase among younger people. The prevalence rate of smartphone addiction was 48.13% (50.19% among males and 44.118% among females) overall. Conclusion: The scale demonstrates strong validity and reliability, supporting its use in both clinical practice and research. Future studies employing longitudinal designs, more diverse populations and objective behavioral measures are warranted to clarify the underlying mechanisms further.

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