The Relationship between Problematic Use of Internet and Mobile Phones and Self-Regulation of Sports Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Athletic Status in Students

10.22034/ijmbsp.2026.576272.1158
Volume 5, Issue 4
Summer 2025

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Physical Education. Farhangian University, P.O. Box 14665-889, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Motor Behavior and Sports Management. Faculty of Sport Sciences. Urmia University, Urmia. Iran

Abstract
The widespread use of the Internet and mobile phones among adolescents has multiple consequences for lifestyle and health-related behaviors, including physical activity and sports behaviors. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the moderating role of athletic status in the relationship between Internet and mobile phone dependency and self-regulation of sports behaviors in students. The statistical population consisted of 373 junior high school students from District 2 of Isfahan, aged 13 to 16 years, who participated randomly in the study and completed three questionnaires: Internet Dependency, Mobile Phone Dependency, and Behavioral Regulation in Sport. Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation, independent t-test, and Mann–Whitney U test in SPSS version 24, with a significance level of 0.05. The results showed that in athletic students, there was a positive and significant relationship between Internet dependency (r_s = 0.186) and mobile phone dependency (r = 0.180) with self-regulation of sports behaviors. In contrast, no significant relationship was observed between technology dependency and self-regulation of sports behaviors in non-athletic students. Moreover, comparison of the two groups revealed no significant difference in the level of Internet and mobile phone dependency between athletic and non-athletic students. These findings indicate that athletic status plays a moderating role in the relationship between technology dependency and self-regulation of sports behaviors, such that this relationship is positive and significant only in the athletic group.

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Subjects
  • Receive Date 17 February 2026
  • Revise Date 18 June 2026
  • Accept Date 24 June 2026