title: Impact of screen time on mental health problems progression in youth: a 1-year follow-up study.
abstract: We examined the relationships between screen time (ST) and mental health problems and also increment of ST and progression of mental health problems in a college-based sample of Chinese youth.
  
  
  
  We assessed 2521 Chinese college freshmen from October 2013 to December 2014. At baseline, the mean age of participants was 18.43 years (SD 0.96 years), and 1215 (48.2%) participants reported ST >2 h/day. We estimated multivariable-adjusted ORs by using logistic regression models for the risk of developing mental health problems (anxiety, depression and psychopathological symptoms) and/or progression of these problems, according to baseline ST exposure and changes in exposure at follow-up.
  
  
  
  At baseline, when ST >2 h/day was compared with ST ≤2 h/day, the OR was 1.38 (95% CI 1.15 to 1.65) for anxiety, 1.55 (95% CI 1.25 to 1.93) for depression and 1.49 (95% CI 1.22 to 1.83) for psychopathological symptoms. The results remained unchanged for depressive and psychopathological symptoms but not for anxiety, after additional adjustment for sex, age, residential background, body mass index, perceived family economy, sleep quality, smoking, alcohol intake, exercise after school and physical activity. When participants who had increased their ST exposure to >2 h/day were compared with those with no change and ST ≤2 h/day, the OR was 1.78 (95% CI 1.12 to 2.83) for anxiety, 1.92 (95% CI 1.23 to 2.83) for depression and 1.93 (95% CI 1.16 to 3.21) for psychopathological symptoms. These associations also remained after additional adjustment.
  
  
  
  The overall effects are consistent yet small for ST/ST increment on mental health problems and its progression. Given the small effect size of the current results, it remains unclear the degree to which ST is a practically significant risk factor for mental health outcomes. Future studies of high quality are necessary to further examine this association and the direction of causality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.|Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Shuman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.|Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Shichen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Yukun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, School of General Education, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Kaihua
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Yajuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.|Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Jiahu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.|Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Fangbiao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003201:Computers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013690:Television; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: College students; MENTAL HEALTH; screen time