Screen Use Time and Its Association With Mental Health Issues in Young Adults in India: Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Study.

Publisher: JMIR Publications Country of Publication: Canada NLM ID: 101599504 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1929-0748 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19290748 NLM ISO Abbreviation: JMIR Res Protoc Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Toronto : JMIR Publications

Screen Time* ; Mental Health*/statistics & numerical data; Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; India/epidemiology ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Male ; Female ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Adult ; Depression/epidemiology ; Depression/diagnosis ; Anxiety/epidemiology ; Anxiety/diagnosis

Background: Screen use time has increased in the past decade owing to the increased availability and accessibility of digital devices and the internet. Several studies have shown an association between increased screen use time and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. However, studies in the young adult population-a demographic with high screen use-and in low- and middle-income country settings are limited.
Objective: This protocol describes a study that aims to measure self-reported screen use times and patterns in young adults (18-24 y) in India and assess if increased screen use time is associated with poorer mental well-being.
Methods: This protocol describes a cross-sectional study of a pan-India, web-based convenience sample of young adults (18-24 y) with access to digital devices with a screen and a minimum of secondary school education. Participants will be recruited through people in the professional networks of the investigators, which includes pediatricians. The survey will also be distributed via the social media pages of our organization (X [X Corp], Instagram [Meta], Facebook [Meta], etc). Sociodemographic details will be collected through a questionnaire designed by the authors; screen use time and patterns will be assessed using an adaptation of the Screen Time Questionnaire to include data on different apps and websites used on digital devices; and mental health parameters will be gauged using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire. For statistical analysis, we will consider the following variables: (1) the primary independent variable is screen use time; (2) other independent variables include age, gender, residence: rural or urban, educational qualifications, employment status, stress associated with familial financial status, average sleep time, number of people living in a house or rooms in that house, BMI, substance use, and past psychiatric history; and (3) dependent variables include mental well-being, depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. To quantify the association between screen use time and mental health, we will perform a Bayesian multivariate multiple regression analysis that models the possibility of multiple alternative hypotheses while accounting for relevant sociodemographic covariables.
Results: The survey instrument has been designed, and feedback has been obtained from the domain experts and members of our organization whose profile is similar to the potential study participants. The final data received after this study has been conducted will be analyzed and shared. As of January 2023, we have not yet initiated the data collection.
Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, we will be able to establish a correlation between device- and use-specific screen use time and various mental health parameters. This will provide a direction to develop screen use time and mental health guidelines among young adults.
International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): PRR1-10.2196/39707.
(©Swasti Deshpande, Ashmeet Sachdev, Anwesha Maharana, Siddhesh Zadey, Surabhi P Dharmadhikari, Swati Ghate, Pawankumar Godatwar, Nisha Kumari Ojha, Sanjeev Sharma. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 16.07.2024.)

BMC Public Health. 2019 Oct 28;19(1):1386. (PMID: 31660931)
Indian J Psychiatry. 2020 Jul-Aug;62(4):354-362. (PMID: 33165368)
BMC Public Health. 2019 Nov 14;19(1):1524. (PMID: 31727052)
PLoS One. 2015 Mar 18;10(3):e0119607. (PMID: 25786030)
Psychon Bull Rev. 2021 Jun;28(3):795-812. (PMID: 33210222)
Br J Sports Med. 2016 Oct;50(20):1252-1258. (PMID: 26552416)
J Family Med Prim Care. 2018 Jul-Aug;7(4):721-727. (PMID: 30234044)
Prev Med. 2015 Apr;73:133-8. (PMID: 25657166)
Prev Med Rep. 2017 Aug 16;8:67-71. (PMID: 28879072)
PLoS One. 2021 Jul 6;16(7):e0254102. (PMID: 34228768)
BMC Public Health. 2020 Aug 26;20(1):1295. (PMID: 32847553)
Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2007 Nov 27;5:63. (PMID: 18042300)
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2013 Aug 23;10:102. (PMID: 23967799)
J Gen Intern Med. 2001 Sep;16(9):606-13. (PMID: 11556941)
BMJ Open. 2015 Nov 25;5(11):e009418. (PMID: 26608640)
Prev Med. 2021 Dec;153:106795. (PMID: 34508730)
Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. (PMID: 16717171)
BMC Public Health. 2022 Sep 5;22(1):1686. (PMID: 36064373)
J Family Med Prim Care. 2018 Nov-Dec;7(6):1236-1242. (PMID: 30613503)
Diabetes Care. 2004 Nov;27(11):2603-9. (PMID: 15504993)
EClinicalMedicine. 2022 Jun;48:101452. (PMID: 35615691)
Prev Med. 2015 Dec;81:108-13. (PMID: 26303369)
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2007 Jun 08;4:26. (PMID: 17559668)

Keywords: India; LMIC; anxiety; computer use; cross sectional; depression; instrument; internet use; low- and middle-income country; mental health; mental well-being; phone use; questionnaire; screen time; screen use; stress; survey; young adult; young adults

Date Created: 20240716 Date Completed: 20240716 Latest Revision: 20240802

20240802

PMC11289573

10.2196/39707

39012657