The impact of excessive exposure to electronic devices (ED) on youth health remains understudied. There is a pressing need to develop recommendations for the safe use of stationary and mobile ED aimed at minimizing health risks. In this work, we assess the effect of ED on the physical growth and development of high-school and university students and provide recommendations for preventing the negative impact of prolonged screen time on health. The study recruited 460 high-school and 598 university students. Standard anthropometric measurements were taken. The psychological and emotional state of the participants was evaluated using the Test Anxiety Inventory by Spielberg (modified by Khanin). To estimate daily and weekly exposure to ED the participants were asked to fill out standardized questionnaires. In high school students, the average screen time was 7 h a day; in university students, 8.5 to 10 h a day. Only 60% of the participants, regardless of their place of residence or the type of educational institution they were attending, were physically healthy. We conclude that prolonged and frequent exposure to ED is one of the factors that can interfere with normal physical growth and development in youth. Regular daily use of stationary ED increases the risk of developing body weight deficit by 24% and gaining excess body weight by 10%. We recommend that students should eliminate computers, laptops and stationary ED from their daily activities for at least one day at the weekend and reduce total screen time to 3 hours a day.
Introduction: A widespread intensive use of electronic devices by modern young people negatively affects their health emphasizing the importance of raising awareness of users about health risks of the uncontrolled use of gadgets and developing appropriate safety skills. High school students can get necessary information in medical institutions, at school, and at home. The objective was to study the role of parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals in forming knowledge, skills and abilities of the safe use of digital devices and related components of a healthy lifestyle in seniors. Materials and methods: In the light of the objective, a special online questionnaire-based survey was conducted in 2019 using Google Forms. It involved 200 schoolchildren in grades 9-11 (15-17 years of age), 251 parents, 389 school teachers, and 220 healthcare professionals. Results: The survey data demonstrated the lowest subjective assessment of risks of the uncontrolled use of digital devices among schoolchildren (p≤0.05) and, at the same time, the highest prevalence of the considered risk factors among them. About 30% of the schoolchildren, 20% of parents and 20% of teachers underestimate behavioral risk factors of the uncontrolled use of gadgets (p≤0.05). I established the leading role of parents in forming the skill of long-term screen time in young people and noted low competence of healthcare professionals in issues of the safe use of digital devices and related components of a healthy lifestyle (using devices in poor lighting, inappropriate places and positions, lacking regular breaks, underestimating risks of low physical activity and eating less than 3 meals a day). I also found that teachers, being aware of safety requirements, comply with them but do not use this experience in their professional activities. Only 65% of schoolchildren and parents and 60% of teachers (p≤0.05) have skills of a safe screen use and take measures to preserve and maintain visual acuity. Conclusions: The survey revealed the importance of improving awareness of the population in issues of the safe use of digital devices, increasing the number of school subjects providing knowledge on this issue and contributing to the development of related healthy lifestyle components, and using all possible sources of transmission of relevant information.
The results of the research show the main problems in the development of healthy lifestyle of modern student youth. We made the analysis of day regimen of modern students, identified the assessment of expertise level of balanced diet, found the frequency of use of the information-communication technologies different types for learning and leisure.
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