Association of Screen Time Usage and Physical Activity With Overweight and Obesity Among School-Going Children in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Background

Being overweight during childhood refers to excess weight for a given height, while obesity denotes excess body fat. These conditions stem from surplus calorie intake and insufficient physical activity. Escalating pediatric obesity is linked to modern sedentary lifestyles, marked by increased screen time, reduced exercise, and poor diets. Once believed to be a concern in affluent nations, obesity now affects developing countries like India due to changing eating habits and urbanization. Despite limitations in measurement tools, such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, recognizing sedentary behaviors such as prolonged screen time is pivotal. The rapidly rising prevalence of pediatric obesity has become a major public health concern; therefore, we conducted this study to determine the prevalence and association of screen time usage with being overweight in school-going children (aged 8-15 years).

Methodology

This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh over 18 months (January 2019 to June 2020) after obtaining institutional ethical committee approval. Participants were 8 to 15-year-old students from three co-educational secondary schools in the region. Children with motor or developmental disabilities were excluded. Written informed parental consent and school permission were secured. Anthropometric measurements included weight (SECA 874 U scale) and height (SECA213 stadiometer), which were used to calculate BMI. Overweight/obesity status followed the Indian Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. A validated questionnaire assessed screen time, and a validated Physical Activity Questionnaire measured physical activity. Both questionnaires were administered twice to validate data. SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used for data analyses (descriptive, t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, and chi-square test). P-values <0.05 were considered significant.

Results

This study involved 604 participants. Among them, 47.7% had a normal BMI, 37.4% were overweight, and 14.9% were obese. Most participants (97.4%) reported screen time of over 60 minutes daily, while 2.6% reported lower screen time. ANOVA revealed significant differences in daily (F = 16.014, p < 0.001) and weekly (F = 16.175, p < 0.001) screen time among BMI categories. Low physical activity was prevalent (97.7%). ANOVA showed significant variations in physical activity scores and durations (p < 0.001), with normal-weight individuals exhibiting higher levels.

Conclusions

The rising prevalence of overweight among children underscores the need for early intervention strategies, emphasizing the importance of reducing screen time and promoting increased physical activity. These measures are critical in addressing the growing challenge of being overweight during childhood and its potential long-term health implications.