Prevalence of excessive screen time and associated factors in a school from a city in the northeast of Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Studies about screen time and its correlates are generally determined by the sum of the duration of several behaviours. Studies that analysed behaviours separately highlighted different correlates. Objective: Estimate the prevalence of excessive screen time, through watching television and using computers or video games, and its correlates, in students in a city in North-eastern Brazil. Methods: An investigation in a high school located in the city of Jequie, Bahia state, Brazil, with a sample of 1163 students between 14 and 20 years. The dependent variables were excessive time watching television and using computers or video games, and the independent ones were socio-demographic and lifestyle variables. The magnitude of the association was determined by the Odds Ratio (OR) and by 95% of confidence intervals (CI). Results: The prevalence of excessive time watching television was estimated at 32.8% (95% CI: 29.9% - 35.5%) and using computer/videogames was 27.3% (95%CI: 24.5% - 29.5%). Those who did not work (OR = 1.940; 95%CI: 1.365 - 2.758); those students whose mothers had less than eight years of schooling (OR = 1.324; 95%CI: 1.023 - 1.714); and who did not regularly eat vegetables (OR = 1.423; 95%CI: 1.082-1.871) were more likely to be exposed to excessive television. On the other hand, those who had not reached the minimum consumption of fruits (OR = 0.712; 95% CI: 0.245 - 0.929) showed lower odds. Female students (OR = 0.694; 95%CI: 0.528 - 0.912) and students with family income lower than two minimum wages (OR = 0.630; 95% CI: 0.474 - 0.838) had lower chances of exposure to excessive time using computer/video games, while the insufficiently active (OR = 1,557; 95% CI: 1,076 - 1,972) showed higher chances. Conclusions: About 1/3 of the students spent too much time in front of the television and computer/ video games, with a different correlation relative to each of these behaviours.