Association between quality of sleep and screen time during the COVID‐19 outbreak among adolescents in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Summary The COVID‐19 pandemic had a major impact on people of all ages. Adolescents' exposure to online learning is linked to excessive screen time on digital devices, which leads to poor sleep quality. This study aimed to investigate the association between screen time on different electronic devices and sleep quality among adolescents in the United Arab Emirates. This study was based on a self‐reported questionnaire, which was administered online to school‐aged adolescents (aged 12–19 years). The multicomponent questionnaire collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and screen time (minutes) on TV, TV‐connected devices, laptops, smartphones, and tablets on weekdays, weeknight, and weekends using the Screen Time Questionnaire (STQ). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors correlated with poor sleep quality. A total of 1720 adolescents were recruited from private and public schools (mean age 14.6 ± 1.97 years). The mean PSQI score was 8.09 ± 3.37, and 74.3% of participants reported poor sleep (cutoff score >5). Mean scores were highest for the sleep latency (1.85 ± 0.97) and sleep disturbance (1.56 ± 0.62) domains. The highest STQ score was observed for smartphones, with a median screen time of 420 min on weekdays and 300 min on weekends. Screen time related to smartphones on weekends ( p = 0.003) and increased screen time in bed ( p < 0.001) were significantly associated with poor sleep. Our results confirmed the correlation between sleep and screen time in adolescents. The results may inform educational polices that target screen time and sleep among adolescents during and after the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Prevalence of mental health symptoms in children and adolescents during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A meta‐analysis

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Bidirectional associations of sleep and discretionary screen time in adults: Longitudinal analysis of the UK biobank

“…Numerous studies have suggested a bidirectional relationship between high DST and poor sleep among children and adolescents (Bani‐Issa et al, in press; Kim et al, 2020; Leonard et al, 2021; Magee et al, 2014); however, such evidence in the adult population is scarce. Our study examined the bidirectional association between DST and sleep patterns in a sample of UK general population adults over nearly 7 years of average follow up.…”

Sleep Deprivation and Insomnia in Adolescence: Implications for Mental Health

“…Sleep habits and problems in adolescence during the pandemic and their relationship with mental health have been widely investigated, mainly through self-reported measures, and a first line of evidence highlights a greater risk of sleep problems in adolescents associated with the COVID-19 pandemic [ 125 , 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 , 136 ]. In their meta-analysis on sleep disturbances during the pandemic in the general population, Jahrami and colleagues found that children and adolescents represented the second most affected group after COVID-19 patients, with an overall prevalence of sleep problems of approximately 46% [ 132 ].…”

“…From another meta-analytic work, the pooled prevalence of sleep disorders among children and adolescents was 42%, with age, educational levels, and female gender correlating with depressive symptoms (pooled prevalence of 31%), which had an increase of prevalence over time [ 137 ]. Several studies from different countries reported a high prevalence of sleep disorders and poor sleep quality in adolescents during the pandemic [ 133 , 134 , 135 , 136 ]. In a large USA sample, adolescents were more likely to exhibit moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation or behavior, and sleep problems compared to adults [ 138 ].…”

“…Interestingly, sleep problems in adolescents during the pandemic have also been frequently associated with specific daily habits. Specifically, longer screen time [ 135 , 136 , 147 , 148 , 149 , 150 , 151 , 152 , 153 ] and lower physical activity [ 149 , 154 ] have been associated with different measures of poor sleep quality. Considering the influence of these variables on sleep habits in adolescents [ 14 , 155 , 156 , 157 ], these findings are consistent with the increased screen time and sedentary behaviors observed in youth during the pandemic [ 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 141 ].…”