ADHD Screening Indices and Technology-Use Patterns among Generation Z Students at Capitol University: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in university students manifests primarily as executive dysfunction, attention dysregulation, and task procrastination. In digitally saturated environments, frequent technology exposure may interact with these attentional vulnerabilities. This study evaluated ADHD screening indices, age-based subgroup differences, and their association with technology-use patterns among Generation Z college students. Using a cross-sectional descriptive-correlational design and non-probability quota sampling, the study analyzed N = 812 Generation Z students aged 15 to 26 years across nine academic units at Capitol University. Participants completed the 18-item Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1; α = .81) and a 25-item researcher-developed technology-use questionnaire (α = .78). Respondents with composite ASRS mean scores ≥ 3.50 were classified as demonstrating elevated screening tendencies. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a one-way ANOVA across four age subgroups (15–17, 18–20, 21–23, and 24–26 years), and Pearson's product-moment correlation. Based on the study-defined composite threshold, 26.35% (n = 214) scored in the elevated screening range. Screening scores differed overall across four age groups, F(3, 808) = 2.73, p = .043, η² = .010; no post-hoc comparisons were conducted and the oldest subgroup was small (n = 15). Technology-use scores were moderately associated with ADHD screening indices, r(810) = .41, p < .001. These self-reported, single-institution findings are strictly non-diagnostic and non-causal. They do not establish a clinical diagnosis or direct environmental etiology, but support voluntary, non-punitive student initiatives such as digital-wellness education, executive-function support, and confidential referral pathways for formal evaluation.