Effect of Screen Time on Physical and Mental Health and Eating Habits During COVID-19 Lockdown in Lebanon

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to explore whether screen time and the screen type impacted various health aspects of children, including physical activity (PA), sleep quality, and eating habits. Additionally, we investigated whether children’s eating behavior while using electronic devices affects their physical and mental health.Methods We conducted an online survey asking for screen use (duration, type, and purpose), PA, eating habits, sleep problems, and level of depression. The participants were children between the ages of 3 and 7 years, and the survey was answered by the participants’ parents from March 3 to March 20, 2021.Results A screen time of ≥2 h in children was associated with various clinical characteristics, such as body mass index (BMI), sleep problems, depression, decreased PA, and unusual eating habits. Children’s food eating behavior while using electronic devices was predicted by a total screen time ≥2 h, smartphone screen time ≥2 h, sleep problems, owning electronic devices, and eating unhealthy food.Conclusion There was an interplay among children’s PAs, eating behaviors, depression, sleep problems, and screen time in this pandemic era. Therefore, guiding children on the correct use of electronic devices and helping them eat healthy are paramount during this COVID-19 pandemic.

The impact of media on children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review

“…It is possible to summarize the various contributions in this article by following a few main themes: the psychological and physical outcomes of using and owning technological gadgets during COVID-19 ( Adachi et al., 2022 ; Camerini et al., 2022 ; Chen et al., 2021 ; Chen et al., 2022 ; Cowan et al., 2021 ; Guo et al., 2021 ; Hmidan, 2022 ; Limone and Toto, 2021 ; Werling et al., 2021a ; Serra et al., 2021 ); behavioral problems related to overuse of media during COVID-19 ( Li et al., 2021b ; Marfua, 2021 ); the relationship between eating and sleeping disorders and the use of media during the pandemic ( Kamaleddine et al., 2022 ; Kim et al., 2022 ; Kotrla Topić et al., 2021 ); the effect of media in groups of clinical and ADHD children ( Sciberras et al., 2022 ; Shuai et al., 2021 ).…”

“…In particular, some studies focused on unhealthy eating habits. One study ( Kamaleddine et al., 2022 ) conducted a logistic regression analysis using food consumption while using media devices as a dependent variable. The significant independent variables that predicted children's habit of eating foods while using electronic devices were total time spent on screen ≥2 h, time spent on smartphone screen ≥2 h, sleep problems, the ownership of technological device, and not eating unhealthy foods (ibidem).…”

“…Millions of children have been adversely affected by it: due to school closures, many youths have been forced to continue their education online and rely on digital media to stay connected with their peers ( Gupta and Jawanda, 2020 ). Consequently, social network use has increased: children spent more time with smartphones, tablets, and computers (e.g., Chen et al., 2021 ; Dong et al., 2020 ; Eales et al., 2021 ; Kamaşak et al., 2022 ; Serra et al., 2021 ; Susilowati et al., 2021 ; Teng et al., 2021 ).…”

“…Indeed, the increase in media use is one of the most insidious threats of our time, as it has lowered the age of Internet use and awareness, consequently increasing the related risks and dangers. Therefore, the pandemic fueling this condition has left its mark on further development ( Kamaşak et al., 2021 ).…”

Mental Health Problems During COVID-19 and Attitudes Toward Digital Therapeutics

“…56 Our result was in line with previous studies that reported increased time spent online was associated with depression, anxiety, and insomnia. [57][58][59] Furthermore, change in the household income has also been shown as a predictive factor for major depressive disorder. In our study, 31.9% reported change of income due to COV-ID-19, and they were 2.18 times more likely to have major depressive disorder.…”