Associations between screen-time media use, physical activity, and positive and negative mental health outcomes among adolescents in Ireland : a cross-sectional study
Forte, C., Biddle, S., Hallgren, M., Woods, C. B., & Herring, M. P. (2023). Associations between screen-time media use, physical activity, and positive and negative mental health outcomes among adolescents in Ireland : a cross-sectional study. European Journal of Public Health, 33(Supplement_1), i76-i77. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckad133.190
Published in
European Journal of Public HealthAuthors
Date
2023Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.
Purpose
Understanding the individual and joint associations of positive and negative mental health with screen-time and physical activity (PA) among adolescents is essential to develop enhanced guidance for prevention strategies and appropriate interventions.
Methods
Participants (n=879, n = 463 female, mean age 14.71 (SD = 1.51) years) from second-level schools in Ireland completed a battery of well-validated questionnaires assessing hours of daily screen-time use (TV, computer, and phone), PA levels (PACE+) (low (0–2 day/week), moderate (3–4 day/week), or high (5+day/week), and mental health outcomes (anxiety (STAI-Y2) and depressive symptoms (QIDS) and positive mental health (MHC-SF)). Multiple linear regressions examined associations between screen-time, PA and mental health and one-way ANOVA’s examined differences in mental health outcomes between screen-time mode and use categories (none (0 hours), low (0.5-1.5 hours), moderate (2-4.5 hours), and high (5+ hours)). Cohen’s d effect size and 95% confidence intervals quantified the magnitude of the difference.
Results
Higher computer (β=0.112, p≤0.001) and phone use (β=0.138, p≤0.001) were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Higher TV use (β=-0.111, p≤0.002) and PA levels (β=-0.123, p≤0.001) were associated with lower anxiety symptoms. Higher phone use (β=0.113, p≤0.002) and PA levels (β=0.116, p≤0.001) were associated with higher positive mental health. The magnitude of differences in depressive and anxiety symptoms across screen-time use categories were largely small-to-moderate (d = 0.02 to 0.67) and in positive mental health, ranged from small to large (d = 0.03 to 0.88). The sample was then stratified by PA level to assess the potential moderating influence of PA on the screen-time-mental health association, with mixed results.
Conclusions
Results are among the first findings regarding the relationship between screen-time mode and PA levels with mental health, particularly positive mental health among adolescents in Ireland. Associations of screen-time and PA with mental health outcomes varied according to PA level and screen-time mode. The variation in these findings suggest the need to investigate the context of screen-time use and the screen-time activity engaged with. These results suggest that not all screen-time is detrimental and some, in moderation, may be beneficial for mental health. Future research should investigate longitudinal associations between screen-time, PA, and mental health.
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Oxford University Press (OUP)Conference
Conference of HEPA EuropeISSN Search the Publication Forum
1101-1262Publication in research information system
https://converis.jyu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/184811212
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