Digital habits and physical health: a study of screen time and BMI among young healthcare profession students and residents.
| Title: | Digital habits and physical health: a study of screen time and BMI among young healthcare profession students and residents. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Rahim H; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, Shaikh Zayed Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. hooriacentral@gmail.com.; Ahmad B; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, Shaikh Zayed Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.; Rahim K; Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.; Fatima Z; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, Shaikh Zayed Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.; Humayun A; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, Shaikh Zayed Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.; Nazir HA; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, Shaikh Zayed Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.; Rahim A; King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.; Shafiq M; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, Shaikh Zayed Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.; Azam E; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, Shaikh Zayed Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.; Usman M; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, Shaikh Zayed Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. |
| Source: | Irish journal of medical science [Ir J Med Sci] 2025 Aug; Vol. 194 (4), pp. 1493-1501. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Jun 19. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Royal Academy of Medicine of Ireland Country of Publication: Ireland NLM ID: 7806864 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1863-4362 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00211265 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Ir J Med Sci Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Dublin : Royal Academy of Medicine of Ireland |
| MeSH Terms: | Students, Medical*/statistics & numerical data ; Body Mass Index* ; Screen Time*; Pakistan/epidemiology ; COVID-19/epidemiology ; Smartphone/statistics & numerical data ; Obesity/epidemiology ; Overweight/epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Internship and Residency ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; SARS-CoV-2 |
| Abstract: | Background: Average screen time has increased drastically after the COVID-19 pandemic. It has raised concerns about the adverse effects, including the effect on BMI.; Aim: The present study is conducted to study the relationship between screen time and BMI among medical students at a medical institute in Lahore, Pakistan.; Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a sample of 370 medical students and residents was obtained from a medical institute in Pakistan. An online survey to gather data about screen time activities, device usage, and BMI. Screen time was categorized into low (1-2 h/day), moderate (3-4 h/day), and high (5-6 h/day), while BMI score was calculated and categorized into under-weight, normal, overweight, and obese groups. Descriptive and inferential statistics including Spearman correlation analysis were applied using IBM SPSS 25.0.; Results: Most participants fell into the normal BMI category (79%), with a smaller proportion classified as overweight (16%) or obese (5%). Most participants preferred using smartphones (92.1%). About 41% of participants had high screen time. There was a strong positive correlation between low screen time and normal BMI (r = 0.999). However, only 2.9% of the participants had low screen time. The link between higher screen time and obesity is observed especially in males, while females maintain a more stable normal weight, suggesting gender-based lifestyle or metabolic differences.; Conclusion: Screen time is significantly associated with BMI with a strong positive correlation as well. There is need to design educational programs to raise awareness about the safe use of devices and the amount of screen time.; (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declarations. Ethics approval: The Helsinki Declarations were followed in the conduct of all study methodologies and procedures. Written e-Informed consent was obtained from the subjects. Anonymity and confidentiality of the data were maintained. Institutional Review and Research Advisory Board of Shaikh Zayed Medical Complex approved this study (IRB approval number: SZMDC/TERC/Internal/479/2023). Consent to participate: Informed consent was taken from participants prior to their involvement in the research. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests. |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: BMI; Height; Obesity; Screen time; Smart phone; Weight |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20250619 Date Completed: 20250905 Latest Revision: 20250905 |
| Update Code: | 20260130 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s11845-025-03991-8 |
| PMID: | 40536737 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article