Abstract
Background
Sedentary leisure time might be affecting children’s and adolescents’ general health. We investigated the association between watching television and computer use in this age group and psychosomatic health complaints.
Methods
This study of 14,274 students aged 7–18 years was conducted in Iran between 2014 and 2015, as part of the fifth school-based nationwide health survey named the childhood and adolescence surveillance and prevention of adult non-communicable disease (CASPIAN-V) study. In addition to gathering data on time spent watching television or using a computer per day, we categorized the health complaints into somatic (headache, backache, stomach ache, and feeling dizzy) and psychological (feeling low, feeling nervous, irritability, and difficulty falling asleep) symptoms. Regression models were used to determine the relationships between variables.
Results
All psychological health complaints, as well as headaches, were significantly more prevalent in the over-14 age group, both in girls and boys. Lower socioeconomic status, living in families where one or two parents were absent, and living in urban areas were all associated with higher psychosomatic health problems. Also, more time spent watching television was associated with more stomach aches and irritability (OR = 1.12 and 1.14 respectively). More time spent using a computer correlated with a higher prevalence of stomach aches, irritability, feeling nervous, and difficulty falling asleep (OR = 1.15, 1.12, 1.29, and 1.07 respectively).
Conclusion
Prolonged time spent on television watching or computer use might be associated with adverse effects on children’s and adolescents’ psychosomatic health status.
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Acknowledgments
We want to thank the large team working on this project as well as all study participants.
Funding
This study was funded by Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran (Project No. 194049).
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RF contributed in the conception of the work, manuscript preparation, manuscript revision, and final approval of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
ZA contributed in study design, data acquisition, manuscript revision, and final approval of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
RH contributed in the conception of the work, study design, interpretation of data, manuscript revision, and final approval of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
MEM contributed in study design, data acquisition, manuscript revision, and final approval of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
AS contributed in statistical analysis, interpretation of data, manuscript revision, and final approval of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
HZ contributed in study design, data acquisition, manuscript revision, and final approval of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
MT contributed in the conception of the work, data acquisition, manuscript revision, and final approval of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
MQ contributed in statistical analysis, interpretation of data, manuscript revision, and final approval of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
SBM contributed in the conception of the work, manuscript preparation, manuscript revision, and final approval of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
RK contributed in the conception of the work, study design, manuscript revision, and final approval of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
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Faridizad, R., Ahadi, Z., Heshmat, R. et al. Association of screen time with subjective health complaints in Iranian school-aged children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-V study. J Public Health (Berl.) 28, 31–40 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01014-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01014-2