Tracking Screen Time Among Students During Covid-19 and its Association with Eye Strain, Headache & Sleep Disturbances

Abstract

Background: Lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased reliance on screens. This study aimed to assess screen usage before and after the pandemic and to determine the association of this increased screen time with the frequency of headaches, digital eye strain (DES), and sleep disturbances among undergraduate students.

Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional study using a convenience non-probability sampling technique was conducted over five months among 413 university students in the twin cities attending online classes. Individuals with preexisting visual problems, headaches, or sleep disorders were excluded. The study tool was a pretested, self-developed semi-structured questionnaire shared online via Google Forms. Descriptive analysis using SPSS 23.0 included percentages, frequencies, means, and standard deviations.

Results: An increase in post-pandemic screen time of 4.34 hours was observed. There was a 56% increase in the number of students reporting eye complaints compared to before the pandemic, with 15.7% reporting symptoms immediately following online classes. Additionally, 72% of students reported headaches, with 8.7% experiencing them immediately after online classes. Over 69.5% of students agreed that increased screen time affected their sleep quality. The association between increased screen time and DES, headaches, and sleep disturbances was significant, with p-values of 0.045, 0.003, and <0.001, respectively.

Conclusion: This study concludes that there was a significant increase in screen time due to the implementation of online classes during the pandemic. A significant association exists between increased screen time and the frequency of headaches, DES, and sleep disturbances.