Dataset Information

Digital media use in the 2 h before bedtime is associated with sleep variables in university students.

ABSTRACT: Digital media use is widespread in University students, and use of digital media near bedtime has a broadly negative effect on sleep outcomes. Adequate and good quality sleep is important for physical and mental health, but few studies have rigorously measured both sleep and digital media use. In this study, we investigated whether self-reported sleep patterns were associated with digital media use in a first-year University student (N = 254, 48% male) population. Students tracked their sleep through daily online diaries and provided digital media use data in 15-min blocks for 2 h prior to bedtime on nine occasions. A longer duration of digital media use was associated with reduced total sleep time and later bedtime, while greater diversity of digital media use was associated with increased total sleep time and earlier bedtime. Analysis of activities in the last hour before bedtime indicated that activity type plays a role in digital media's effect on sleep, with computer work, surfing the Internet, and listening to music showing the strongest relationship to multiple sleep variables. These findings have implications for physical and mental health of University students and can inform design of devices to minimize negative effects of digital media on sleep.

SUBMITTER: Orzech KM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5279707 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Digital media use in the 2 h before bedtime is associated with sleep variables in university students.

Orzech Kathryn M KM Grandner Michael A MA Roane Brandy M BM Carskadon Mary A MA

Computers in human behavior 20150914 A

Digital media use is widespread in University students, and use of digital media near bedtime has a broadly negative effect on sleep outcomes. Adequate and good quality sleep is important for physical and mental health, but few studies have rigorously measured both sleep and digital media use. In this study, we investigated whether self-reported sleep patterns were associated with digital media use in a first-year University student (N = 254, 48% male) population. Students tracked their sleep th ...[more]

PMID: 28163362

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Project description:BACKGROUND:During university, students face some potentially serious health risks, and their lifestyle can have a direct effect on health and health behaviors later in life. Concurrently, university students are digital natives having easy access to the internet and new technologies. Digital health interventions offer promising new opportunities for health promotion, disease prevention, and care in this specific population. The description of the current use of and opinions on digital health among university students can inform future digital health strategies and interventions within university settings. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this exploratory study was to report on university students' use and opinions regarding information and communication technologies for health and well-being, taking into account sociodemographic and self-rated general and mental health correlates. METHODS:This field survey was conducted from March to April 2017. An informed consent form and a paper questionnaire were given to students aged 18 to 24 years in 4 university campuses in Bordeaux, France. The survey was formulated in 3 sections: (1) sociodemographic characteristics and self-rated general and mental health, (2) information about the use of digital health, and (3) opinions about digital health. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and tests of independence. RESULTS:A total of 59.8% (303/507 females) students completed the questionnaire. Concerning digital health use, 34.9% (174/498) had at least 1 health app mostly for physical activity (49.4%, 86/174) and general health monitoring (41.4%, 72/174,), but only 3.9% (20/507) of students had a wearable device. Almost all (94.8%, 450/476) had searched for Web-based health-related information at least once in the last 12 months. The most sought health-related topics were nutrition (68.1%, 324/476); pain and illnesses (64.5%, 307/476); and stress, anxiety, or depression (51.1%, 243/476). Although Wikipedia (79.7%, 357/448) and general health websites (349/448, 77.9%) were the most consulted sources, students considered institutional or official websites as the most credible sources (309/335, 92.2%). There were significant differences in digital health use by gender, field, and year of study. No statistically significant association was found between digital health use and self-rated general and mental health status. Concerning opinions on digital health, although 94.1% (475/505) of students estimated that today's digital health cannot replace traditional health services and medical consultations, 44.6% (207/464) of students declared that this could be possible in the future, provided that digital health interventions are promoted by institutional or official entities. CONCLUSIONS:University students are largely using the internet for health information seeking, but using less mobile health apps and very few wearable devices. Our data suggest that digital health has the potential for improving health and well-being at the university, especially if digital health interventions take into account students' profiles, interests, and needs.

Dataset Information

Digital media use in the 2 h before bedtime is associated with sleep variables in university students.

Publications

Digital media use in the 2 h before bedtime is associated with sleep variables in university students.

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