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A rising issue in the child and adolescent global mental health pandemic is smartphone addiction. However, most evidence has come from urbanised countries in the developed world or university undergraduate students in LAMICs. This study aims to ascertain core psychometric properties of a previously unvalidated brief smartphone addiction scale for adolescents, determine gender-based prevalence of smartphone addiction in adolescents in rural areas, and assess relationships with concurrent measures of a state of mindfulness and depression. Secondary data from a health screening in a Dusun-speaking village in rural Borneo was analysed, with respondents filling in sociodemographic questionnaires and three Malay-language scales: MAAS, PHQ-9, and SAS-SV, which measure the state of mindfulness, depression, and smartphone addiction respectively. The SAS-SV-M exhibited satisfactory internal consistency and was consistent with a uni factorial model in the original paper. There were significant gender differences for smartphone addiction, but no significant difference between all 3 measured variables for age. Significant inverse correlations existed between mindfulness and depression, but not with neither and smartphone addiction, with these correlations persistent upon multiple regression. This study pioneeringly establishes prevalence by gender for smartphone addiction in a rural LAMIC setting, and concurs with extant findings that mindfulness and depression are inversely correlated.

Introduction: The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) developed by WHO is instrumental in identifying individuals on the alcohol misuse spectrum. However there is no culturally appropriate Dusun language version in Sabahan Borneo. This study aims to develop and validate a Dusun language version of AUDIT (AUDIT-D). Methods: AUDIT was translated to Dusun and back translated to English and Malay. The first version was pilot tested in 20 participants and harmonised. The harmonised version was administered to 50 Dusun first language speakers fluent in Malay from villages in rural Sabah. Participants filled in socio-demographic questionnaires, Dusun (AUDIT-D) and Bahasa Malaysia (AUDIT-M) versions of AUDIT, and validated Bahasa Malaysia versions of the M.I.N.I. alcohol dependence subscale and CAGE. Results: ROC curves calculated AUDIT-D dependence cut-off of 9 and more, with prevalence of dependence at 46%. Factor analysis of AUDIT-D yielded a one - or three-factor solution, distinct from the AUDIT-M factor structure. Cronbach alpha coefficients for the total AUDIT-D was 0.83. Significant Spearman’s correlations existed between AUDIT-D and AUDIT-M scores (Spearman’s rho=0.999, p<.001). AUDIT-D and AUDIT-M were both significantlycorrelated with M.I.N.I. alcohol dependence subscales (rho=0.624 and 0.617 respectively, with p<0.0001).Both were not significantly correlated with CAGE. Conclusion: The AUDIT-D questionnaire has acceptable psychometric properties, properties and demonstrates similar factor structures to other areas with high alcoholdependence prevalence. It is suitable for the assessment and identification of alcohol use disorders in the unique Sabahan Borneo cultural landscape.