Screen Time Differences among Turkish University Students as an Indicator of Sedentary Lifestyle and Inactivity

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the screen time differences as an indicator of sedentary lifestyle in terms of some socio-demographic variables among university students. A total of 2209 university student (M-age = 20.80, SD = 1.61 years) participated in this study. The demographic information and screen time data were collected by using a survey form. The screen time refers to the combined time spent on watching TV/video, watching/playing/working on a computer, and playing video games. Two x three factorial ANOVA revealed significant gender and socioeconomic status differences in the screen time. The male students and those with a high socio-economic status had higher screen time. In addition, one-way ANOVA showed significant screen time differences in terms of parental education level and place of residence (p < .001). The students living in dormitories and those whose parents had lower education level had lower screen time. Also, the students who had an opportunity to access technological devices in their place of residence and in their bedrooms had higher screen time than the students who did not have these facilities (p<.001). The screen time as a sedentary behavior among university students is quite high and these findings can be taken into account as a warning indicating increases in the sedentary lifestyle of these young adults.