Association between screen time and sleeping pattern of university-going students in Chittagong, Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Sleep is essential to maintaining good health and quality of life. Poor quality of sleep is linked to several diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health issues. Several factors can influence the quality and quantity of sleep, and exposure to screens for a long time could be a significant factor. Due to the widespread availability and advancement of digital technology, screen time has increased drastically worldwide. University students are usually exposed to screens for a long time as they depend on digital devices for their academic activities. This exposure for a long period can affect their sleep quality and overall health. Therefore, it is important to assess the association between screen time and the sleeping patterns of university students. However, limited studies have been done in Bangladesh to see the association between screen time and sleeping patterns. Therefore, this study aims to determine the amount of screen time and sleep quality of university students and also investigate the association between screen time and sleeping patterns of university students. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a structured questionnaire among the university students of Chittagong. 390 individuals in the age range 18-25 participated in the study, and a combination of simple random sampling and convenience sampling was conducted to select the Universities and students from them. Before data collection, pilot testing was conducted among four university students to assess the accuracy of the questionnaire. Written consent was taken from the participants through a consent form, which was explained to them in detail before the beginning of the survey. The participants had the freedom to withdraw from the study at any point of data collection. The collected data was entered and analyzed through the SPSS software. Result: Out of the 390 participants, 63.3% of the students had poor sleep quality, and only 34.9% of the students had good sleep quality. The students' mean (± SD) sleeping duration was 6.01 ± 1.45, and the mean PSQI score was 7.04 ± 3.36. The average (± SD) screen time of the students was 8.44 ± 2.68 for weekdays and 9.44 ± 3.32 for weekends. Based on the findings of the study screen screen-related activities like watching TV/YouTube, surfing the internet, & using Social media for more than 2 hours affect the sleep quality of the students. Besides, bedtime screen time of more than 60 minutes was significantly associated with poor sleep quality. Conclusion: The average screen time among the students was more than 8 hours, and more than half of the participants had poor sleep quality. Exposure to screens for a long time, especially during bedtime, harms the students' sleep quality. Screen-related activities should be limited to at least one hour before bedtime to improve the sleep and overall health of the students. Universities can play a significant role in reducing students' screen time by arranging workshops, seminars, and awareness campaigns highlighting the adverse impact of excessive screen time on physical and mental health.