High Screen Time Research Articles

Risk Behavioral Contexts in Adolescence of Obese Adults

PurposePrevious research suggests that poor nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and social/emotional climate are associated with weight gain. However, few empirical studies have examined how these factors relate to each other in adolescents who are later obese. Are these factors uniformly present, or do some co-occur or occur independently? This study seeks to identify subgroups of obese individuals at ages 24–32 years who exhibited unique, co-occurring behavioral and emotional contexts for obesity at ages 14–17 years. MethodsTo identify subgroups of behavioral and contextual profiles in adolescence, the study applies latent class analysis to a sample of individuals who were obese in the fourth wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health, N = 1,889). The study then explored covariates (e.g., gender, race) of class membership. ResultsConsiderable heterogeneity exists in risk profiles of adolescents obese as adults. For example, 21.1 percent of the sample is in a class with no differentiating risk factors, whereas two classes containing 22.1 percent of the sample exhibit high levels of depression, and nearly all the emotional factors are considered. Although some covariates are predictive of class membership, clear patterns are difficult to discern. However, poor physical health is clearly predictive of membership in the classes exhibiting a high risk of depression. DiscussionClinicians should be aware that at younger ages, people who are ultimately obese display a range of factors linked to obesity. Although some exhibit behaviors such as high screen time and processed food consumption, others exhibit mainly poor social/emotional climate.

Parental psychological problems were associated with higher screen time and the use of mature-rated media in children.

AimParents’ psychological problems may affect children's screen time, but research has been scarce. We examined the association between parental psychological problems and children's screen media behaviours in a nationally representative sample.MethodsThe participants were from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, recruited by probability sampling from the USA population. Children reported their use of TV, videos, video games, social media and mature‐rated media. The parents (85% mothers) reported psychological problems using the Adult Self‐Report questionnaire.ResultsIn 10,650 children (5112 girls, 5538 boys) aged 9.9 ± 0.6 years, the presence of parental psychological problems was associated with children spending more daily time on screen media and with meeting the recommendation of ≤2 daily hours less often than children whose parents did not have psychological problems. Parental psychological problems were associated with children's TV watching, video watching and gaming but not with using social media. Parental internalising problems were associated with children watching mature‐rated movies (odds ratio [OR] = 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00, 1.30) and playing mature‐rated games (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.11, 1.45).ConclusionPresence of parental psychological problems is associated with higher screen time and use of mature‐rated media in children. This cross‐sectional study was not able to examine causal associations.

High screen time and associated factors among high-school students in an urban setting of Kerala: a cross sectional study

Background: Screen time (ST) is the time spent in sedentary behaviors involving screen based media (SBM) like watching television, playing games, using computers and mobile phones. This situation is a matter of concern because excessive screen time is associated with the risk of excess weight gain, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, low cardiorespiratory fitness. In a study conducted in urban resettlement in New Delhi, 68% of adolescents engage in using SBM for more than 2 hours. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of excess screen time and factors associated with it among school going adolescents in Kerala.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 130 students of age group 12-15 years studying in schools located in urban area of Thiruvananthapuram district from August 2019 to October 2019. Stratified sampling technique was used. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was entered in MS Excel and was analyzed using appropriate statistical software.Results: The proportion of students who had high screen time was 87.7%. Mobile phones were the most frequently used gadget. Male gender OR-8.3 (95% CI- 1.7-40.3), less duration of sleep OR-0.34 (95% CI- 0.15-3.12), and low socio-economic status OR-0.21 (95% CI- 0.21-0.96) were found to be associated with high screen time among high school students in Kerala.Conclusions: The study observed that 87.7% of high school students engage in using Screen based media for more than 2 hours. In this study male gender and short sleep duration were found to be associated with excess screen time.

Anxiety among urban, semi-urban and rural school adolescents in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Investigating prevalence and associated factors

BackgroundAnxiety disorder is one of the emerging public health problems in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Likewise, in Bangladesh, a growing number of adolescents are experiencing such symptoms though we have very limited research evidence available. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and the factors associated with this condition among urban, semi-urban, and rural school adolescents in Bangladesh.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used a two-stage cluster sampling procedure. A self-administered questionnaire was conveyed to 2355 adolescents from nine secondary schools of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Of the respondents, 2313 completed the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). Besides, sociodemographic information, self-reported body image as well as modification of Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ) and WHO Global PA Questionnaire (GPAQ) were used to determine the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with anxiety among adolescents.ResultsA total of 20.1% of adolescents were experiencing moderate to severe anxiety; of them, a significantly higher proportion (49.9%) of female adolescents were suffering more than males (40.1%). Furthermore, age, student’s grade, father’s educational level, number of family members, and residential setting were found to be significantly associated with anxiety among adolescents. In terms of lifestyle factors, irregular physical activity (AOR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.05–1.63), high screen time (AOR: 1.51; 95% CI:1.21–1.88), sleep dissatisfaction (AOR: 3.79; 95% CI: 3.02–4.76), and underweight body image (AOR: 2.37; 95% CI:1.70–3.28) were found to be significantly associated with anxiety among school adolescents of urban, semi-urban, and rural residential settings.ConclusionsAnxiety is prevalent among urban, semi-urban, and rural school adolescents in Dhaka, Bangladesh. To lessen this prevalence of anxiety among Bangladeshi adolescents, evidence-based health programs- healthy school trials—and policies should therefore be taken based on the findings of this study.

Screen Time as a Mechanism Through Which Cumulative Risk is Related to Child Socioemotional and Developmental Outcomes in Early Childhood.

Socio-demographic risks are associated with higher child screen time and higher screen time is associated with poor socioemotional and developmental health. Existing studies have not examined children's screen time as a mechanism through which distal risks may be associated with child outcomes. In the current study, we examined whether two proximal factors, screen time and parenting quality, mediate the relation between distal cumulative risk and child outcomes. Participants (N = 1992) were drawn from a birth cohort of mothers and their children (81% white; 46% female). Mothers reported on cumulative risk factors (maternal income, education, depression, stress, marital status, housing instability, unemployment, and maternal history of childhood adversity) during the prenatal period. Parenting quality (ineffective/hostile, positive interactions) and children's screen time (hours/week) were assessed when children were three years of age. Child socioemotional (internalizing and externalizing problems) and developmental (achievement of developmental milestones) outcomes were measured at five years of age. Path analysis revealed indirect effects from cumulative risk to internalizing symptoms and achievement of developmental milestones via screen time. Indirect effects were observed from cumulative risk to internalizing and externalizing behavior via hostile parenting behavior. Over and above the effects of parenting, screen time may be a factor that links structural forms of social disadvantage during the prenatal period to child socioemotional and developmental outcomes. Due to modest effect sizes of screen time, it remains the case that child socioemotional and developmental health should be conceptualized within the context of distal cumulative risk factors such as caregiver psychological and material resources.

Cardiorespiratory fitness, screen time and cardiometabolic risk in South Brazilian school children

Background Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is considered a beneficial effect of physical activity (PA). PA and excessive screen time have implications for cardiometabolic risk. Objective To verify the association between screen time and CRF grouped by cardiometabolic risk factors. Subjects and methods Cross-sectional study evaluated 1,253 schoolchildren (54.2% girls) aged seven to 17 years from southern Brazil. The outcomes were body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic (DBP), glucose, and lipid profile. Exposure was a combined variable of self-reported screen time (television, video game, computer) and CRF. Results The main result is that CRF had a more consistent association with anthropometric factors than with metabolic variables. Low CRF students, regardless of screen time, showed a 15% increase in the risk of elevated WC (p < 0.001) and a 24% (<2 h screen time) and 19% (≥2 h) higher risk of overweight (p < 0.001). Second, the increase in SBP was associated with a combination of the two risk factors, ≥2 h screen time/low CRF was associated with a 7% increase in elevated SBP (p = 0.025). Conclusion Low CRF was a risk factor for elevated BMI and WC, regardless of screen time. High screen time and low CRF were associated with higher SBP values.

Association between patterns of adverse childhood experiences, screen time and non-suicidal self-injury behaviors among middle school students

The aim of this paper is to understand the relationship between patterns of adverse childhood experiences(ACEs), screen time and non-suicidal self-injury behaviors(NSSI) among middle school students. Stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 14 500 middle school students(7347 boys and 7153 girls; 7247 junior high school students and 7253 senior high school students; 7619 urban students and 6881 rural students) from Shenzhen, Guiyang, Nanchang and Zhengzhou Cities. Questionnaire surveys were conducted using the child abuse questionnaire, household dysfunction questionnaire, non-suicidal self-injury behavior questionnaire and screen time items. The latent class analysis was used to evaluate the ACEs exposure patterns, and multivariable logistic regressions was used to analyze the association between patterns of ACEs, screen time levels and their combined effects with NSSI. Latent class analysis indicated four distinct patterns of ACE exposure: highly ACEs group(6.3%), highly abuse and neglect group(21.4%), lowly ACEs group(26.8%), highly neglect group(45.5%). Those in highly ACEs(OR=4.65, 95%CI 3.73-5.80), highly abuse and neglect(OR=3.43, 95%CI 2.91-4.06) and highly neglect(OR=1.31, 95%CI 1.11-1.55) group had significantly higher risk of NSSI compared with those in lowly ACEs group(P&lt;0.001). In study days(OR=1.72, 95%CI 1.42-2.08) and weekends(OR=1.42, 95%CI 1.27-1.60), high screen time were associated with increased rate of NSSI(P&lt;0.01). There showed a trend toward increased risk of NSSI with increasing ACEs exposure and screen time level(P&lt;0.05). High ACEs exposure patterns and high screen time are associated with increased rate of NSSI. Reducing ACEs exposure and controlling screen time is beneficial to the prevention and control of NSSI in middle school students.

Chronic disease risk and protective behaviors in Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District, according to the National Health Survey and the Chronic Disease Risk and Protective Factors Telephone Survey Surveillance System, 2019.

To describe and compare the results of the main risk and protective factors for chronic non-communicable diseases, in the 26 Brazilian capitals and the Federal District, obtained through the National Health Survey (PNS) and the Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (VIGITEL) in 2019. Cross-sectional study, in which the difference in prevalence between health behavior indicators investigated by PNS and VIGITEL was calculated. The largest discrepancy between the surveys, PNS (n = 32,111) and VIGITEL (n = 52,443), were observed in relation to leisure-time physical activity (6.8 in percentage points - p.p.), recommended physical activity in the transport domain (7.4 p.p.), and high screen time (21.8 p.p.). Both surveys presented similar prevalence regarding nutritional status, food consumption, smoking, alcohol abuse and negative self-rated health. Prevalence in both surveys presented small differences, but point to results in the same direction.

The Relationship between Eating and Screen Viewing Behavior with Nutritional Status of Adolescents in Medan City

Adolescents are vulnerable to experiencing malnutrition issues, both overnutrition and undernutrition. This study’s objective was to determine the relationship between eating and screen viewing behaviour and with nutritional status of adolescents. This study used a cross-sectional design with 145 adolescents chosen through the purposive sampling method. The samples were divided into three categories: early adolescents, middle adolescents, and late adolescents, and data on eating behaviour were obtained by using Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire (AEBQ). The screen viewing behavior variable had two categories: low screen time and high screen time. Adolescent body mass index z-scores measured nutritional status. This study was conducted from June to August 2022. Results showed 5.5% underweight participants, 18.6% subject overweight participants, and 22.8% obese participants of the total participants. Spearman’s tests showed that there was a significant relationship between eating behaviour and nutritional status (p&lt;0.05) only on two subscales of appetite traits (emotional overeating and food responsiveness) in early adolescents. Likewise, in late adolescents, there was a significant relationship between eating behaviour and nutritional status (p&lt;0.05) only with emotional undereating. There was no significant relationship between screen viewing behaviour and nutritional status in all categories of adolescents. The highest prevalence of obesity was found in early adolescents, and it influenced the adolescent’s eating behavior such as emotional overeating. While in late adolescents, malnutrition cases were more or less common due to emotional undereating.

Prospective Association of Maternal Educational Level with Child's Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Diet Quality.

Evidence has identified unhealthy lifestyle behaviors as the main contributors to obesity in children, so it is essential to identify factors that could influence children’s lifestyles. The objective of the present study was to analyze the association of baseline maternal educational level with child’s physical activity, screen time, and dietary habits at follow-up. This community-based cohort study was carried out between 2012 and 2014 and included 1405 children aged 8 to 10 years old. Maternal educational level was used as an indicator of child’s socioeconomic status. Physical activity, screen time, and dietary habits were assessed by validated questionnaires. The odds of having commercially baked goods for breakfast [OR 1.47 (95% CI 1.03 to 2.10)], going more than once a week to a fast-food restaurant [OR 1.64 (95% CI 1.20 to 2.26)], and taking sweets and candys several times a day [OR 3.23 (95% CI 2.14 to 4.87) were significantly higher among children whose mothers had a lower educational level compared to their peers whose mothers had a higher level. These associations held for taking sweets and candy several times a day after additional adjustment for the corresponding dietary behavior at baseline. Maternal educational level was inversely associated (p < 0.001) with child’s screen time at follow up and being in the lowest maternal educational category was associated with an increased odds of surpassing the maximum recommended time of screen time of 120 min per day (OR (95% CI) 1.43 (1.07 to 1.90), p = 0.016). Maternal education is a predictor for unhealthy dietary habits and high screen time in children.

Smartphone addiction is increasing across the world: A meta-analysis of 24 countries

Smartphone ownership and screen time are increasing across the world, but there have been few attempts to quantify smartphone addiction on a global scale. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies published between 2014 and 2020 that used the Smartphone Addiction Scale, the most common measure of problematic smartphone use. We focused on adolescents and young adults (aged 15 to 35) since they tend to have the highest screen time and smartphone ownership rates. Across 24 countries, 83 samples, and 33,831 participants, we demonstrate that problematic smartphone use is increasing across the world. China, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia had the highest scores while Germany and France had the lowest. We suggest that the clinical interpretation of these scores should be updated given current global trends.

Associations of Voluntary Exercise and Screen Time during the First Wave of COVID-19 Restrictions in Japan with Subsequent Grip Strength among University Students: J-Fit+ Study

This study aimed to examine the combined effect of voluntary exercise and screen time during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions on subsequent grip strength among health and sports science students in Japan. The participants performed grip strength tests and had their weight assessed on 21 October 2020. Furthermore, they completed an online survey between 21 October and 28 October 2020, which included participants’ current age, height, voluntary exercise, and screen time during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (April and May 2020). In total, 380 participants provided complete data (mean age ± standard deviation [SD]: 18.8 ± 0.6 years; 233 males). Our results revealed that 87.6% of male students and 84.4% of female students performed voluntary exercise &gt;1 day/week during the first wave of the pandemic. Moreover, 21.5% of male students and 23.1% of female students had &gt;8 h/day of screen time. A trend toward greater grip strength was observed for both male and female students with high voluntary exercise and low screen time. In particular, grip strength (p &lt; 0.05) was significantly greater in male students with high voluntary exercise and low screen time than those with low voluntary exercise and high screen time. In conclusion, this study revealed that during the first wave of COVID-19 restrictions, a combination of high voluntary exercise and low screen time positively affected the subsequent grip strength of health and sports science students.

Autism Spectrum Disorder and screen time during lockdown: an Italian study.

Background: Lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic brought deep changes to the daily lives of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), greatly increasing their amount of time spent at home. Methods: A cohort of 243 parents of children with ASD (2-15 years old) completed an original online survey regarding the child’s screen time and the modification of the ASD symptomatology during lockdown to investigate the relationship between them. Results: The data show that high solitary screen time is related with the worsening of ASD core symptoms. Conclusions: This study may help to increase awareness in the excessive use of screen in children with ASD during the lockdown, both during the pandemic as well as after it ends.

Digitally characterizing the dynamics of multiple health behavior change.

We applied the ORBIT model to digitally define dynamic treatment pathways whereby intervention improves multiple risk behaviors. We hypothesized that effective intervention improves the frequency and consistency of targeted health behaviors and that both correlate with automaticity (habit) and self-efficacy (self-regulation). Study 1: Via location scale mixed modeling we compared effects when hybrid mobile intervention did versus did not target each behavior in the Make Better Choices 1 (MBC1) trial (n = 204). Participants had all of four risk behaviors: low moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and fruit and vegetable consumption (FV), and high saturated fat (FAT) and sedentary leisure screen time (SED). Models estimated the mean (location), between-subjects variance, and within-subject variance (scale). Treatment by time interactions showed that location increased for MVPA and FV (Bs = 1.68, .61; ps < .001) and decreased for SED and FAT (Bs = -2.01, -.07; ps < .05) more when treatments targeted the behavior. Within-subject variance modeling revealed group by time interactions for scale (taus = -.19, -.75, -.17, -.11; ps < .001), indicating that all behaviors grew more consistent when targeted. Study 2: In the MBC2 trial (n = 212) we examined correlations between location, scale, self-efficacy, and automaticity for the three targeted behaviors. For SED, higher scale (less consistency) but not location correlated with lower self-efficacy (r = -.22, p = .014) and automaticity (r = -.23, p = .013). For FV and MVPA, higher location, but not scale, correlated with higher self-efficacy (rs = .38, .34, ps < .001) and greater automaticity (rs = .46, .42, ps < .001). Location scale mixed modeling suggests that both habit and self-regulation changes probably accompany acquisition of complex diet and activity behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal Associations Between e-Cigarette Use, Cigarette Smoking, Physical Activity, and Recreational Screen Time in Canadian Adolescents.

This study examined longitudinal associations between e-cigarette use, cigarette smoking, physical activity, and recreational screen time (ST) in a cohort of Canadian adolescents (ages 14-17 years; grades 9-12). Data from 5951 adolescents who participated in COMPASS Year 4 (2015-2016; baseline) and Year 6 (2017-2018; follow-up) were used. Exposures included e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking. Outcomes included cutpoints for moderate- to vigorous-physical activity (MVPA; ≥60 min/d), muscular strengthening exercises (MSE; ≥3 time/wk), participation in sport (SP; intramural or competitive), and recreational screen time (ST; ≤430 min/day). Generalized linear mixed models were performed. e-Cigarette use (16.6% vs. 39.2%), cigarette smoking (0.9% vs. 4.7%), and dual use (0.8% vs. 4.1%) increased from baseline to follow-up. SP (70.8% vs. 61.3%) and the prevalence of meeting MVPA (49.8% vs. 42.1%) and MSE cutpoints (54.0% vs. 45.3%) decreased from baseline to follow-up. Recreational ST remained similar from baseline to follow-up. New e-cigarette use at follow-up was associated with maintenance of SP and meeting MVPA and MSE cutpoints, but also with increased ST. New cigarette smoking at follow-up was associated with maintaining high ST and low SP. Cigarette smoking at baseline and follow-up was associated with maintaining high ST, low MSE, and low SP. Cigarette smoking cessation at follow-up was associated with increasing MVPA and MSE, decreasing ST, and maintaining low SP. Given the clustering and co-occurring unhealthy behavioral patterns, intervention strategies to promote healthy lifestyles should take a holistic approach, by targeting multiple behavioral changes simultaneously. This investigation highlighted that, unhealthy behaviors, particularly e-cigarette use, cigarette smoking, and excessive use of screens, tend to co-occur among Canadian adolescents. Therefore, intervention strategies to promote healthy lifestyles should take a holistic approach, by targeting multiple behavioral changes simultaneously particularly in school and community settings. As an exception, new and stable e-cigarette use appears to co-occur with achieving sufficient levels of physical activity. Increasing awareness about the risk of e-cigarette use may target population groups that are physically and socially active (eg, athletes, sport teams).

Independent and combined influences of physical activity, screen time, and sleep quality on adiposity indicators in Indian adolescents

BackgroundInadequate physical activity (PA), excess screen time (ST), and sub-optimal sleep quality tend to co-occur during adolescence. Yet, little is known about the associations of these behaviors as a cluster with adiposity indicators in Indian adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate the independent and combined influences of PA, ST, and sleep quality on body mass index (BMI) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) in 10–15 years old adolescents in Mumbai, India. A secondary aim was to explore if these influences vary between sexes.MethodsCross-sectional study. Adolescents (n = 772, mean age 13.2 (1.4) years) reported frequency and duration of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and time spent using screens on a previously validated instrument. Sleep quality was estimated using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured. Mixed effect logistic regression analyses were performed to explore associations between adiposity indicators (BMI z scores > +1SD and WHtR > 0.5) and unhealthy behaviors (PA < 60 min/d, ST > 120 min/d and PSQI scores > 5), stratified by sex.ResultsThe combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was 38.3%. Overall, 62.0 and 85.0% reported MVPA< 60 min/d and ST > 120 min/d respectively. Girls reported higher ST (218.21 (69.01) min/d) as compared to boys (165.3 (101.22) min/d, p < 0.001). Clustering of low PA and excess ST was observed in 69.2% and of all three unhealthy behaviors in 18.8%. Among girls, MVPA < 60 min/d (OR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.54–1.92, p < 0.001) and PSQI scores > 5 (OR = 2.01, 95% CI 1.78–2.25, p < 0.001) predicted increased BMI. The odds of overweight/obesity were 2.10 times higher in boys reporting low PA and 4.13 times higher in those with low PA+ ST > 120 min/d. Clustering of all three unhealthy behaviors increased prevalence of obesity in both sexes.ConclusionsThe results indicated a co-existence of multiple unhealthy lifestyle factors of obesity and that clustering of these behaviors can further aggravate obesity risk as compared to their independent effects. Integrated interventions that leverage the cumulative benefits of being active, less sedentary and sufficient sleep are warranted to facilitate greater improvements in obesity risk behaviors.

Associations between screen time, physical activity, and depressive symptoms during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak among Chinese college students

BackgroundThe 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerges in China, which spreads rapidly and becomes a public health emergency of international concern. Chinese government has promptly taken quarantine measures to block the transmission of the COVID-19, which may cause deleterious consequences on everyone’s behaviors and psychological health. Few studies have examined the associations between behavioral and mental health in different endemic areas. This study aimed to describe screen time (ST), physical activity (PA), and depressive symptoms, as well as their associations among Chinese college students according to different epidemic areas.MethodsThe study design is cross-sectional using online survey, from 4 to 12 February 2020, 14,789 college students accomplished this online study, participants who did not complete the questionnaire were excluded, and finally this study included 11,787 college students from China.ResultsThe average age of participants was 20.51 ± 1.88 years. 57.1% of the college students were male. In total, 25.9% of college students reported depression symptoms. ST > 4 h/day was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.48, 95%CI 0.37–0.59). COVID-19ST > 1 h/day was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.54, 95%CI 0.43–0.65), compared with COVID-19ST ≤ 0.5 h/day. Compared with PA ≥ 3 day/week, PA < 3 day/week was positively associated with depression symptoms (β = 0.01, 95%CI 0.008–0.012). Compared with low ST and high PA, there was an interaction association between high ST and low PA on depression (β = 0.31, 95%CI 0.26–0.36). Compared with low COVID-19ST and high PA, there was an interaction association between high COVID-19ST and low PA on depression (β = 0.37, 95%CI 0.32–0.43). There were also current residence areas differences.ConclusionsOur findings identified that high ST or low PA was positively associated with depressive symptoms independently, and there was also an interactive effect between ST and PA on depressive symptoms.

Does parents’ educational level affect children's sedentary behaviour? A cross sectional analysis

Abstract Background Evidence links sedentary behaviours (SB) with poorer health outcomes; i.e. higher screen time is associated with poorer fitness and cardiometabolic health, as well as unfavourable measures of adiposity, mental health and social behaviour in children. The WHO guidelines for children recommend reaching at least an average of 60 min per day of physical activity (PA). Several studies show a correlation between parental education (PE) and children PA levels. This study aims to analyse the influence that PE has on childrens' sedentary lifestyle and PA habits in Italian society. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 428 children aged 6-11 recruited in a primary school of Calderara di Reno (Italy) in 2017. Children's and parents' information were collected at baseline (i.e. age, BMI, occupation, instruction). PA level and SB were evaluated using a weekly diary investigating screen time (PC and TV), sports practice and active play (i.e: running, jumping, riding a bike, etc.). We investigated the relationship between lifestyles and PE (high school degree or lower vs college degree or higher) through multiple linear regression models adjusted for age and gender. Results Our models show that fathers' educational level is not related to children's SB. PA habits and weekly sports activities are not related to PE. On the other hand, higher mothers' educational level shows to be linked to a decreased TV screen time (p = 0.003) and time spent using a computer (p = 0.035). Notably, older children spend more time using PCs or devices (p = 0.001), net of confounding variables. Conclusions Our findings show that mothers' educational level positively influences children's lifestyle. This result might be related to the fact that, in the Italian context, mothers are usually the principal children's caregiver influencing their daily routine. In light of this, mothers might be considered a primary target when implementing public health interventions to reduce children's SB. Key messages Higher mothers’ educational level is positively associated with healthier lifestyles in children, in particular in determining a less sedentary behaviour. Fathers' degree of education does not display any impact on children's attitude toward sports and PA.

Prevalence and risk factors of dry eye disease among University Students in Bangkok, Thailand.

PurposeTo investigate the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) and its associated risk factors among Thai university students.MethodsA cross-sectional study using an electronic survey was conducted in two Rajabhat universities in Bangkok, Thailand. The woman’s health study questionnaire was used to determine students with DED. The prevalence of DED along with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Logistic regression model was used to identify the associated risk factors.ResultsA total of 4,111 university students joined and completed the survey questionnaires. Mean age was 18.8 ± 1.1 years with female predominance (2874 students, 69.91%). Clinically diagnosed DED was reported in 136 students (3.31%), while severe symptoms of eye dryness and irritation were reported in 227 students (5.52%). The prevalence of DED among Thai university students was 8.15% (95% CI 7.33% to 9.02%). History of contact lens use and high screen time (> 8 hours per day) were reported in 868 students (21.11%) and 2101 students (51.11%), respectively. Male gender, contact lens use and high screen time were significantly associated with higher risk of DED with the adjusted ORs (95% CI) of 1.39 (1.09, 1.77), 2.49 (1.96, 3.17), and 1.43 (1.14, 1.80), respectively.ConclusionsDED is not rare among Thai university students. Contact lens use and high screen time are two significant modifiable risk factors of DED in our students. These findings can raise awareness of DED in youth population and provide valuable information for public health promotion in university students.

Sedentary Living, Screen Time, and Physical Activities in Medical Students during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic

The Ministry of Health of Indonesia has established large-scale social restrictions (LSSR) to limit the transmis- sion of Covid-19, which inherently causes an increase in screen time levels and the physical activity level of students. This study aims to compare the level of screen time and physical activity before and during LSSR. This cross-sectional study was involved 206 medical students of the Atma Jaya School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Data were collected using a questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) – long form. A paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and McNemar test were used to compare the level of screen time and physical activity before and during LSSR. The mean screen time, sedentary time on weekday and weekend were significantly increased (Δ0.6, Δ1.7, Δ1.3 hours, respectively, all p&lt;0.001), while total calorie of physical activity reduced (Δ-435, p&lt;0.001). The number of students with higher screen time and sedentary time was also raised (Δ12.1%, Δ19.4%, Δ14.6%, respectively, all p&lt;0.001), while the number of students with sufficient physical activity was significantly diminished (Δ-13.6%, p&lt;0.001). There was a shift in the use of application types. The most significant change was Line usage, which had decreased by almost half (from 80 to 43). The pandemic situation greatly affected the students’ physical activity behaviour to be more sedentary and changed the use of application type.