Objective  To examine the prevalence and influencing factors of mobile phone addiction (MPA) among college students in Hainan province and to provide evidences for developing measures on intervention of MPA in the students.

  Methods  We conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey among 2 753 undergraduates recruited with stratified random sampling in four universities in Hainan province during October – November 2017. Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS), Time Management Tendency Scale (TMDS) and Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Short Version (IIP-32) were used in the survey. Structural equation model (SEM) was adopted to analyze influence factors of MPA.

  Results  For the 2 407 students, the mean MPATS domain scores were 16.33 ± 4.95 for withdrawal symptoms, 9.32 ± 3.45 for salience, 7.17 ± 2.74 for social comfort, and 7.56 ± 2.67 for mood change and the mean overall MPATS was 40.38 ± 11.93, respectively. Of all the students, 26.92% (648) were assessed with MPA. For all the students, the TMDS domain scores were 28.23 ± 6.38 for time value sense, 57.11 ± 12.38 for time surveillance, 26.70 ± 5.65 for time efficacy sense, and 112.04 ± 22.018 for time management tendency; the IIP-32 dimensional scores were 9.10 ± 3.58 for hard to be social, 10.15 ± 3.54 for hard to be assertive, 9.43 ± 3.49 for hard to be supportive, 9.85 ± 3.55 for hard to be involved, 9.20 ± 3.30 for too aggressive, 9.82 ± 3.41 for too open, 10.50 ± 3.51 for too caring, and 9.91 ± 3.40 for too dependent and the overall IIP-32 score was 77.95 ± 22.47, respectively. SEM analysis demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between time management tendency and interpersonal relationship (β ′ = – 0.165, P < 0.001) and interpersonal relationship had a significant impact on MPA (β ′ = 0.473, P < 0.001).

  Conclusion  Mobile phone addiction is prevalent and mainly influenced by interpersonal relationship problems among college students in Hainan province.