Screen time, physical activity and mental health among urban adolescents in China
Abstract
Objective To test the association between screen time (ST), physical activity (PA) and self-reported psychological problems among urban adolescents aged 11 to 16 years.Methods In 2010, total 5003 boys and girls were analyzed from 4 junior high schools in Bengbu city of China. The Depression Self-rating Scale for Children, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders and School Life Satisfaction Rating Questionnaire were administered to obtain information on current mental health. Self-reported ST, PA and dietary intake were also assessed. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the effects of ST and PA on psychological problems.Results Approximately 26.1% of adolescents were exposed to ST for more than 2h/day. High ST was a risk factor for depressive symptoms (odds ratio (OR)=1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31-1.76), anxiety symptoms (OR=1.36, 95%CI: 1.18-1.57) and school life dissatisfaction (OR=2.07, 95%CI: 1.79-2.38). Sufficient vigorous PA (VPA) was a protective factor for depressive symptoms (OR=0.78, 95%CI: 0.67-0.91) and school life dissatisfaction (OR=0.73, 95%CI: 0.62-0.85). The combination of high ST and insufficient VPA was associated with the highest prevalence of various psychological problems.Conclusions High ST and insufficient VPA interact to increase depressive, anxiety symptoms and school life dissatisfaction among Chinese adolescents.
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Previous cross-sectional studies have demonstrated weaker associations between screen-based sedentary behaviors and emotional disorder symptoms in youth who also engage in higher (vs. lower) levels of physical activity and in boys (vs. girls).
“Previous cross-sectional studies have demonstrated weaker associations between screen-based sedentary behaviors and emotional disorder symptoms in youth who also engage in higher (vs. lower) levels of physical activity (Cao et al., 2011; Griffiths et al., 2010) and in boys (vs. girls) (Suchert et al., 2015; Brodersen et al., 2005; Desai et al., 2010; Godinho et al., 2014).”
From Reciprocal associations between screen time and emotional disorder symptoms during adolescence (2019) · cites this paper as Cao et al., 2011
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References 45 · Cited by 211
- Authors
- Cao, H., Qian, Q., Weng, T., Yuan, C., Sun, Y., Wang, H., & Tao, F.
- Affiliations
- Anhui Medical University (CN)
- Ningbo University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Tao, Fangbiao
- Venue
- Preventive Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-10
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 4-5
- Pages
- 316-320
- ISSN
- 0091-7435 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1997261909
- Cited by
- 211
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Preventive Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- screen time, physical activity, mental health, adolescents, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, high-intensity exercise, dietary intake, junior high school students, urban adolescents, Chinese adolescents
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Anxiety, Child, China, Computers, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Personal Satisfaction, Schools, Television, Time Factors, Urban Population, Exercise, Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic, Self Report
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