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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Behavioral profiles and temporal patterns of problematic smartphone use: associations with sleep hygiene and physical activity in adolescents

Mohamed Yaakoubi1,2 ,  Mustapha Bouchiba3 ,  Ahmed Ghorbel1,2 ,  Ghada Regaieg1 ,  Georgian Badicu4 ,  Adnene Gharbi2,5 ,  Luca Paolo Ardigò6*# ,  Omar Trabelsi1,2#
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1 High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba, Kef, Kef Governorate, Tunisia
2 Research Unit: Physical Activity, Sport and Health (UR18JS01), National Observatory of Sport, Tunis, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia
3 Laboratoire Hypoxie & Poumon, UMR INSERM U1272, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Bobigny, Île-de-France, France
4 Department of Physical Education and Special Motricity, Faculty of Physical Education and Mountain Sports, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brașov County, Romania
5 Higher Institute of Sports and Physical Education, University of Sfax, Sfax, Sfax Governorate
6 Department of Teacher Education, NLA University College, Oslo
HPR, 026170087 https://doi.org/10.36922/HPR026170087
Received: 25 April 2026 | Revised: 17 June 2026 | Accepted: 18 June 2026 | Published online: 15 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Background: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is a heterogeneous behavior, yet little is known about how dominant-use profiles relate to sleep hygiene, physical activity, and temporal usage patterns in adolescents.

Objective: To categorize adolescents with PSU into predefined dominant-use profiles and examine their associations with sleep hygiene, physical activity, and temporal smartphone-use patterns.

Methods: A total of 220 Tunisian middle school students (aged 14–16 years) screening positive for PSU according to validated Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version cutoffs underwent one month of objective monitoring via iOS/Android tracking tools. Following data validation, 180 participants were categorized into four profiles: social media (n = 52), gaming (n = 50), streaming (n = 40), and fitness (n = 38). Associations with sleep hygiene (Sleep Hygiene Index [SHI]) and physical activity (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents [PAQ-A]) were examined.

Results: Distinct behavioral profiles were associated with differences in health outcomes. Gaming and streaming profiles exhibited the highest total and late-night screen time, lowest physical activity, and poorest sleep hygiene (all p < 0.001), whereas the fitness profile demonstrated the most favorable pattern. Late-night screen time was associated with additional variance in SHI scores after adjustment for profile membership and demographics (standardized β = 0.42, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Adolescent PSU manifests in distinct behavioral profiles with varying health-related associations. Nocturnal gaming and streaming are associated with poorer outcomes, potentially informing prevention efforts prioritizing usage patterns and timing over aggregate screen time. Consequently, digital well-being interventions may need to be profile-specific and time-sensitive.

Keywords
Smartphone addiction
Behavioral profiles
Chronobiological patterns
Sedentary behavior
Middle school students
Tunisia
Funding
The authors acknowledge partial support from the Avdeling 310 Fund of NLA University College, Bergen, Norway.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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