Gadget usage pattern and sleep quality among medical undergraduates during COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The afoot COVID-19 pandemic has covered approximately every edge of the world. Schools and colleges are temporarily shut leading to children being indoors. Thus, gadgets have become an inseparable part of life and govern the daily routine of an individual. The aim of the study was to assess the pattern of gadget usage and sleep quality among medical undergraduates during COVID-19 lockdown.Methods: Present cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 149 medical undergraduates of Shri Vasantrao Naik Govt. Medical College, Yavatmal. Their gadget usage pattern and sleep quality before and during lockdown were measured using a predesigned and pretested questionnaire based on Smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), administered via the Google forms platform.Results: 139 (93.28%) responses were completely and correctly filled. Smartphone addiction was seen in 71 (51.08%) study subjects. The mean sleep duration before and during lockdown had no significant changes. There was linear positive correlation between SAS-SV score and PSQI score, but the correlation was not statistically significant.Conclusions: The proportion of smartphone addiction amongst medical undergraduates is significantly high and the mean sleep duration is reduced during lockdown.

Electronic gadgets use and sleep quality among medical students during COVID-19 Lockdown

“…The mean age of the participants in this study was 21.93±1.514 years with 53.2% males and 46.8% females, which is similar to the study of Vaidya, where it was 20.14±0.91 years. [5] In this present study, 98% had smartphones which coincides with the ndings of Hakura et al where 98.6% of the participants owned smartphones. [14] The mean time spent on electronic gadgets before the lockdown was 4.52±2.052 hours which raised signi cantly to 8.41±3.293 hours during the lockdown (p value=0.00).…”

“…These ndings are similar to the study by Vaidya where slightly less than half (46.04%) had impaired sleep. [5] This cross-sectional study found a progressive linear correlation between SAS-SV score and PSQI (r=0.337). Similar nding was also reported in studies conducted by Demirci et al and Kurugodiyavar MD et.…”

“…This is similar to the ndings of Dharmadhikari et al and Basu et al [16][18] On the contrary, studies of Vaidya and Sharma et al found signi cant smartphone addiction among males as compared to females. [5,19] However, a study among university students of Saudi Arabia reported higher smartphone addiction among females.…”

“…[6,21] Vaidya also reported a progressive linear correlation between SAS-SV score and PSQI but it was statistically insigni cant. [5] This association between SAS-SV score and poor sleep quality is of importance because it affects the quality of life of future healthcare professionals.…”

“…In today's global scenario, smartphones have become an indispensable part of our life and it plays an important role in our everyday activities. [5] Apart from conventional communication purposes, smartphones can be used for playing games, browsing the internet and social media like Facebook, Instagram, Viber, etc., and watching movies and series.…”