A cross-sectional study of screen exposure time and its effects on sleep quality & mental health of medical undergraduates

Abstract

Background As large portions of the youth population (15–24 year olds) are gaining access to computer technology it is crucial to determine the role exposure to screens has on the quality of sleep and overall mental well-being of youth. Especially if this effect compounds with the generalised stressors present in the lifestyle of medical undergraduates. Methods The present study was conducted by administering a semi-structured questionnaire to undergraduates of a tertiary care medical college. The questionnaire included their socio-demographic profile, questions on-screen exposure, sleep quality and mental well-being using the Questionnaire for Screen Time of Adolescents (QueST)[1] , Sleep Quality Scale (SQS)[2] and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS)[3]. The average screen time was calculated and the responses for SQS and WEMWBS were scored. Chi-square was used to test statistical significance and to obtain an association between screen exposure time, sleep quality and mental well-being. Results A total of 251 participants were included in the study, ranging from the ages of 18 to 26 years. A gradual increase in the screen exposure time was observed from 1st year to Interns. The mean screen exposure time was found to be 535.26 minutes (8h 54min). Females showed lower mental well-being as compared to males in the same year. Higher incidence of sleep problems was observed in Final year students. A significant association between Sleep Quality Scale scores and screen exposure time (p-value = 0.03) and a unidirectional relation (p-value = 0.04) between Sleep Quality Scale scores and Non-recreational Screen Exposure Time.The participants with lower screen exposure time showed lesser acute sleep problems (p-value= 0.03; p-value=0.0006, respectively). A higher screen exposure time for recreational purposes showed a unidirectional relation (p-value= 0.04) with occurrence of acute sleep problems, in individuals who already had a higher screen exposure time than the mean of the group. Significant association was found between participants having lower WEMWBS scores and lower Non-recreational Screen Exposure time (p-value= 0.04). A unidirectional association (p-value= 0.02) was observed between lower WEMWBS scores and lower Recreational Screen Exposure Time. In those with higher WEMWBS scores significant findings were seen in relation to both recreational and non-recreational screen exposure times (p-value= 0.04 and p-value= 0.04, respectively). Conclusions High screen exposure time was observed in the sample population with a steady increase from 1st year to Interns. Significant disparities were observed in the mental well-being of female and male participants of the study. The Final year students reported a marked increase in acute sleep problems. The study participants with higher screen exposure were observed to have better mental well-being but were also seen to have more acute sleep problems. Despite the better mental well-being observed, it was noted that acute sleep problems in turn affect the mental well-being of an individual and thus reduction of screen time is recommended.

Keywords

• screen exposure time, sleep quality, mental health, mental well-being, medical undergraduates