VISAKHAPATNAM: Researchers have found that 36.9% of 700 young adults surveyed in a rural community in Andhra Pradesh had high screen time.
According to a study published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine, higher screen use was associated with sleep disturbances, regular junk food consumption, a lack of outdoor activity, and both parents being employed. The cross-sectional study covered young adults aged 18 to 25 years, and examined their screen time and socio-demographic details.
The survey findings showed that 32.7% of participants reported disturbed sleep, while 16.7% had never participated in outdoor activities. About 18.3% of youngsters were overweight, and 58.1% reported using spectacles.
Children of working parents report higher screen time
The employment status of parents was also associated with screen use, with participants whose both parents were employed more likely to report high screen time.
The study participants had a mean age of 20.3 years, and 55.6% were male. About 34.7% of those surveyed were employed.
The research was conducted by G Varshini and B A Praveen Kumar of the Department of Community Medicine at PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kuppam; Devi Vara Prasad of the Department of Community Medicine at Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam; and Durgadasimi Deepa of the Research and Innovation Cell at PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research. Data was collected over two months.
