Association between gadget use intensity and emotional subdomains with menstrual cycle patterns among adolescent girls

Background: The rapid increase in gadget use among adolescents has raised concerns regarding its potential effects on emotional functioning and reproductive health. While previous studies have examined the relationship between screen time and mental health, limited evidence addresses how specific emotional subdomains relate to menstrual cycle patterns among adolescent girls. 
Objective: This study aimed to analyze the association between gadget use intensity and emotional subdomains, as well as their relationship with menstrual cycle patterns among adolescent girls.
Methods: A cross-sectional analytic study was performed on 90 adolescent girls (15–17 years, selected through cluster random sampling from five senior high schools in Surabaya, Indonesia). Gadget intensity was grouped according to the daily duration of use. Emotional subdomains were evaluated by the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (PSC-17), which consists of internalizing, attention, and externalizing domains. Patterns of menstrual cycles were assessed using a three-month menstrual calendar. Data were analyzed using Fisher’s Exact test with a significance level of 0.05.
Results: Over half of participants mentioned 4–8 hours per day in their gadget use (55.6%). 56.7% of respondents reported emotional problems, primarily in the internalizing domain. Among participants, 57.8% had irregular menstrual cycles. There was no relationship of gadget use intensity to overall emotional problems or menstrual cycle patterns (p > 0.05). However, gadget use intensity was significantly associated with emotional difficulties (p = 0.020) in the attention subdomain.
Conclusion: Intensity of gadget use was not related to general emotional problems or menstrual cycle patterns in adolescent girls. However, elevated gadget use demonstrated an association with attention-related emotional difficulties in adolescents, indicating that some emotional subdomains may be more sensitive to excessive gadget exposure. Interventions aimed at adolescent gadget use should therefore emphasize attention-related emotional regulation, rather than general emotional outcomes.