scholarly journals Impact of Increased Screen Time on Physical and Psychological Health of Indian Students During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1493-1500
Author(s):  
Shailly Gupta

Now in the 21st century, both physical and psychological health are associated with technology. By the late March 2020, the Indian government announced multiple lockdowns to fight with COVID-19 pandemic which included the shutdown of all educational institutes due to which all schools, college, and universities had shifted all their classes online by using video conferencing apps which also accounted for a large proportion of tasks that resulted in increased screen time after lockdown compared to pre-lockdown during COVID-19. So, the present study was conducted to determine the impact of increased usage of the screen on Psychological and physical health during the COVID-19 among Indian Students. A cross sectional survey was conducted on Indian students by using self- made Questionnaire with snowball sampling method. A total of 210 responses were received online from various schools and colleges students between 15th August to 30th August 2020. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the screen time spent before and during COVID (t= 19.96; p<0.01). Similarly, a statistically significant positive correlation at 0.01 level was found between screen usage time during COVID-19 pandemic with backache (0.62), neck pain (0.71), headache (0.50), and weight gain (0.52) and with mental health (0.40). Hence the study concluded positive association between screen time with physical and psychological health during COVID-19 among Indian students. It further implies that adequate preventive health measures need to be incorporated among students. There is a scope of further study to identify the impact of over usage of screen on health of individuals of specific population i.e., either adolescents or adults’ group and also on the larger sample size to get more reliable and accurate results.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong ◽  
Tien Nguyen Le Bao ◽  
Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen ◽  
Thanh Vo Van ◽  
Toi Phung Lam ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The first nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was implemented in Vietnam from April 1 to 15, 2020. Nevertheless, there has been limited information on the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of the public. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychological issues and identify the factors associated with the psychological impact of COVID-19 during the first nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. METHODS We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling. A self-administered, online survey was used to collect data and assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants from April 10 to 15, 2020. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were utilized to assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants during social distancing due to COVID-19. Associations across factors were explored using regression analysis. RESULTS A total of 1385 respondents completed the survey. Of this, 35.9% (n=497) experienced psychological distress, as well as depression (n=325, 23.5%), anxiety (n=195, 14.1%), and stress (n=309, 22.3%). Respondents who evaluated their physical health as average had a higher IES-R score (beta coefficient [B]=9.16, 95% CI 6.43 to 11.89), as well as higher depression (B=5.85, 95% CI 4.49 to 7.21), anxiety (B=3.64, 95% CI 2.64 to 4.63), and stress (B=5.19, 95% CI 3.83 to 6.56) scores for DASS-21 than those who rated their health as good or very good. Those who self-reported their health as bad or very bad experienced more severe depression (B=9.57, 95% CI 4.54 to 14.59), anxiety (B=7.24, 95% CI 3.55 to 10.9), and stress (B=10.60, 95% CI 5.56 to 15.65). Unemployment was more likely to be associated with depression (B=3.34, 95% CI 1.68 to 5.01) and stress (B=2.34, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.85). Regarding worries about COVID-19, more than half (n=755, 54.5%) expressed concern for their children aged &lt;18 years, which increased their IES-R score (B=7.81, 95% CI 4.98 to 10.64) and DASS-21 stress score (B=1.75, 95% CI 0.27 to 3.24). The majority of respondents (n=1335, 96.4%) were confident about their doctor’s expertise in terms of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, which was positively associated with less distress caused by the outbreak (B=–7.84, 95% CI –14.58 to –1.11). CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the effect of COVID-19 on mental health during the nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. The study provides useful evidence for policy decision makers to develop and implement interventions to mitigate these impacts. CLINICALTRIAL


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Osinachi Akanwa Ekeagwu ◽  
Stanley Idika Ukpai

Due to the growing elderly population in the United Kingdom, there is increasing demand for formal carers. Research suggests that elderly care may be associated with adverse impacts, however not much is known about migrants who constitute a considerable proportion of formal carers. Given that migrants already face peculiar challenges related to cultural assimilation and social integration, it becomes necessary to investigate the impact of a burdensome yet well sought job among them. This study therefore aimed to investigate the impact (burden and benefit) of elderly social care among migrant carers. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used and data obtained through snowball sampling using web-based questionnaires. Majority of participants (51.6%) confirmed that the choice of the job was financially motivated, even though most (63.3%) experienced stress. Apparently, the perceived stress was related to frustrations stemming from their skills not being fully utilised, but unrelated to gender, prior experience and cultural background. Nevertheless, 66.7% remained happy to recommend their job to others. The inherent caregiver burden should be recognised and addressed by all parties involved including the carers, employers and policy makers. Although the avoidance of caregiver burden entirely may be impossible, there should be room for decreasing this impact and providing respite for those already affected.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Börgeson ◽  
Matus Sotak ◽  
Jamie Kraft ◽  
Grace Bagunu ◽  
Christina Biörserud ◽  
...  

Abstract Background It remains unclear to what extent the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the normal progression of biomedical and medical science graduate programs and if there was a lasting impact on the quality and quantity of supervision of PhD-students. To date, multiple editorials and commentaries indicate the severity of the disruption without providing sufficient evidence with quantifiable data. Methods An online survey was submitted to the administrative offices of biomedical and medical PhD-programs at eight major universities in Sweden to gauge the impact of the pandemic on the students. It consisted of multiple-choice and open-ended questions where students could provide examples of positive and/or negative supervision strategies. Open answered questions were coded as either examples of positive or negative support. Results PhD students were divided into two groups: those with improved or unchanged supervision during the pandemic (group 1, n = 185), versus those whose supervision worsened (group 2, n = 69). Group 1 received more help from supervisors and more frequent supervision via both online and alternative platforms (email/messages and telephone). There was no significant difference in educational-stage, gender or caretaking responsibilities between the groups. Conclusions It is important for the scientific community to learn how to provide the best possible supervision for PhD students during the pandemic. Our data suggests that more frequent supervision, and using a diverse array of meeting platforms is helpful. In addition, it is important for the students to feel that they have their supervisor’s emotional support. Several students also expressed that they would benefit from an extension of their PhD programs due to delays caused by the pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 205031212110324
Author(s):  
Nwamaka A Elom ◽  
Ignatius O Nwimo ◽  
Sampson Omena Elom ◽  
Deborah N Alegu ◽  
Eunice N Afoke ◽  
...  

Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has continued to plague households, leading to lockdown problems. Adopting appropriate mitigation strategies can reduce the impact on family members. Purpose: To assess the emotional impact of COVID-19 epidemic lockdown and mitigation measures among households in Ebonyi State. Methods: Cross-sectional survey design was used to study 516 participants. Emotional impact of COVID-19 lockdown ( r = 0.73) and mitigation options ( r = 0.92) questionnaire was used for data collection. Of the 516 copies of the questionnaire distributed, 493 copies (95.5% return rate) were used for data analysis. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, standard deviations, and t-tests. Results: The data showed the emotional impact of the COVID-19 epidemic was high (2.97 ± 0.48) on households. They embraced friendly communication and communication with their partners, maintaining regular contact with their loved ones by phone, email, social media, or video conference to alleviate the COVID-19 lockdown. No significant differences were found in the emotional impact for location ( p > 0.05). Significant differences were not observed in many gender-based mitigation options. Conversely, a significant difference existed in the mitigation options based on location ( t = 3.143, p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in friendly interactions and communication with partners ( t = 0.354, p > 0.05), finding opportunities to develop excellent and promising news and images ( t = 0.770, p > 0.05) and maintaining regular communication with loved ones via phone, email, social media, and video conference ( t = 0.448, p > 0.05). Conclusion: The emotional impact of COVID-19 confinement was significant on family life and was more prevalent among men and urban dwellers. There is need to organise an awareness campaign on fundamental ways to overcome emotional distress using media targeting family members to promote emotional health.


10.2196/24776 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (12) ◽  
pp. e24776
Author(s):  
Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong ◽  
Tien Nguyen Le Bao ◽  
Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen ◽  
Thanh Vo Van ◽  
Toi Phung Lam ◽  
...  

Background The first nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was implemented in Vietnam from April 1 to 15, 2020. Nevertheless, there has been limited information on the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of the public. Objective This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychological issues and identify the factors associated with the psychological impact of COVID-19 during the first nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. Methods We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling. A self-administered, online survey was used to collect data and assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants from April 10 to 15, 2020. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were utilized to assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants during social distancing due to COVID-19. Associations across factors were explored using regression analysis. Results A total of 1385 respondents completed the survey. Of this, 35.9% (n=497) experienced psychological distress, as well as depression (n=325, 23.5%), anxiety (n=195, 14.1%), and stress (n=309, 22.3%). Respondents who evaluated their physical health as average had a higher IES-R score (beta coefficient [B]=9.16, 95% CI 6.43 to 11.89), as well as higher depression (B=5.85, 95% CI 4.49 to 7.21), anxiety (B=3.64, 95% CI 2.64 to 4.63), and stress (B=5.19, 95% CI 3.83 to 6.56) scores for DASS-21 than those who rated their health as good or very good. Those who self-reported their health as bad or very bad experienced more severe depression (B=9.57, 95% CI 4.54 to 14.59), anxiety (B=7.24, 95% CI 3.55 to 10.9), and stress (B=10.60, 95% CI 5.56 to 15.65). Unemployment was more likely to be associated with depression (B=3.34, 95% CI 1.68 to 5.01) and stress (B=2.34, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.85). Regarding worries about COVID-19, more than half (n=755, 54.5%) expressed concern for their children aged <18 years, which increased their IES-R score (B=7.81, 95% CI 4.98 to 10.64) and DASS-21 stress score (B=1.75, 95% CI 0.27 to 3.24). The majority of respondents (n=1335, 96.4%) were confident about their doctor’s expertise in terms of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, which was positively associated with less distress caused by the outbreak (B=–7.84, 95% CI –14.58 to –1.11). Conclusions The findings highlight the effect of COVID-19 on mental health during the nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. The study provides useful evidence for policy decision makers to develop and implement interventions to mitigate these impacts.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Pragati Kaurani ◽  
Kavita Batra ◽  
Himangini Rathore Hooja

COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption of all spheres of life, including health, financial, and socio behavioral. Given the rampant nature of the pandemic, several nations, including India has instituted stringent public health measures, with one being nationwide lockdown, to mitigate COVID-19 transmission. Previous studies reported increased stress and anxiety levels among general population during phase 1 (complete) lockdown, however, the effect of extended lockdown (phase 2) on mental health outcomes remains the subject of investigation till today. Therefore, this cross-sectional study endeavors to assess the psychological outcomes among general population during phase 2 lockdown. The online questionnaire surveyed 627 individuals from the general population using a non-probability snowball sampling technique. Descriptive statistics, including the frequency distribution, mean and standard deviations were generated. Mean differences across groups were analyzed through independent-samples- t and analysis of variance tests. Consistent with previous studies, our results indicated a higher mean score of anxiety and stress among females compared to males. Young adults aged between 21-39 years had the highest mean stress and anxiety scores compared to other categories. The mean anxiety score increased from retired (M=3.96, SD=4.76, to students (M=7.04, SD=7.11), to unemployed (M=9.0, SD=6.53) occupation groups. The findings of this study highlight the need for designing psychosocial regulatory frameworks and suitable interventions to address the needs of those being mentally traumatized by the pandemic and associated lockdowns. The study also advocates for establishing psychological health monitoring and telepsychiatry systems for identifying and treating mental health problems.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Kshama Pandey ◽  
Aditya Tripathi

Purpose: This study was designed to determine the impact of increased screen time during covid-19 pandemic for online classes. Methodology : A cross sectional survey on 200 students from different schools and colleges was designed to find changes in eye condition due to increased screen time using a validate questionaire. Result: A comparison of statistical analysis on 200 students reveals that near about 70% students are dependent on mobile phone for online classes whereas 30% students use other electronic gadgets. The screen time of students have been increased 4 times in this pandemic due to which students experiences asthenopic symptoms. Conclusion: The increased screen timing tends to appearance of asthenopic symptoms and eye strain in maximum students along with decrease in concentration. It suggest that before conducting online class students should be trained about the right way of taking online classes so that it's adverse effects can be reduced .


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Jani Ramjani ◽  
Fitri Kurnia Rahim ◽  
Icca Stella Amalia ◽  
Wahyu Manggala Putra

Indonesia has the highest prevalence of smoking (50.68%) compared to other ASEAN countries. On January 1st, 2017, the Indonesian government raised cigarette excise taxes. The purpose of this study was to analysis the impact of cigarette excise increase on cigarette consumption among adolescents aged 17 to 25 years. The study design used cross-sectional survey. A total of 153 adolescents were recruited in this study through simple random sampling technique. Questionnaires and observation papers were used in this study. A face-to-face interview was conducted to fulfill the data collection through home visit for each respondent. The data were obtained during May – June 2017. This study used paired t test analysis. The number of cigarettes consumed by adolescent decreased significantly by two cigarettes per day after the increase in cigarette excise tax. There is a significant difference of the average cigarettes price based on the brand after the implementation of cigarette excise tax increase, the difference of cigarette price is IDR 200 per stick of cigarettes after excise tax increase. Increased cigarette excise taxes may affect the increasing of cigarette prices. Threfore, it could reduce the number of cigarette consumption.


2021 ◽  
pp. bmjmilitary-2020-001722
Author(s):  
Sheima Hossain-López ◽  
D Ruiz-Berdún

IntroductionThirty-two years after Spain first allowed women to join the armed forces, 12% of active troops are women, although there are no data on how many of them are mothers. There is a lack of research related to the impact of motherhood on their careers and the challenges they face as well. Previous quantitative research, within North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, has focused on the increased vulnerability and reduced performance of women returning to service after childbirth. However, no study to date has examined the narratives of these women.MethodsA qualitative, cross-sectional study was carried out by means of individual interviews which were subsequently analysed employing the interpretative approach of hermeneutic phenomenology. All the interviews were conducted by videoconference, being recorded for subsequent transcription and analysis with MAXQDA v.2018.ResultsServicewoman reported experiencing fear of informing their command chain of their pregnancy. Many women described feelings of constantly having to prove their worth, and thus perceived the physical restrictions associated with pregnancy and/or postpartum as a threat to their previous achievements. This sometimes led to behaviours that posed a risk to the health of mothers and babies, or eventually resulted in both acute and chronic conditions.ConclusionsSome restrictions put in place to protect them during their pregnancies become a source of additional anxiety. Returning to active service, we found that women’s desire to fulfil their duties can cause long-term damage to their physical and psychological health. The attitudes servicewomen perceive towards pregnant women and mothers seems to exert a strong influence on the risks they are willing to assume. Understanding and addressing the needs of servicewomen after childbirth, either now, as active members of the Armed Forces, or in the foreseeable future, as veterans, is crucial to both military and civilian healthcare providers.


2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Noonan ◽  
Paul Kavanagh ◽  
Brion Sweeney

AbstractObjective: To measure (a) the prevalence of problem drinking in a population of methadone-treated drug users, (b) independent associations with problem drinking, (c) the effect of hepatitis C status on drinking behaviour, (d) the knowledge of drug users of their hepatitis C status and their perception of their drinking behaviour and (e) the attitude of drug users to the effect of alcohol on hepatitis C virus (HCV) related disease.Method: A cross sectional survey of 130 drug users in treatment at the National Drug Treatment Centre, Dublin was carried out. A questionnaire incorporated the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and data were collected on sociodemographics, drug use history, perceived HCV status and drinking behaviour, and attitudes to the impact of drinking on HCV related disease. Hepatitis serology and drug urine data were collected from clinical records.Results: The prevalence of problem drinking was 41% (95% CI 33-51%). Unstable accommodation, older age, male gender and longer duration of heroin use were independent associations with being a problem drinker. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of problem drinking across HCV status. Knowledge of HCV status was accurate, however 35% of those identified as AUDIT cases failed to recognise their problem drinking.Conclusion: HCV infection among Irish drug users is compounded by a high prevalence of problem drinking with drug users failing to modify their drinking in response. Incorrect perception of problem drinking status could be a barrier to addressing this potentially remediable risk factor.


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