impact of screen time on stress levels and sleep quality: a cross-sectional study among medical students in south india

Background: the rising prevalence of mobile phone usage among medical students has raised concerns about its potential effects on mental health and sleep quality. extended screen time, particularly during nighttime, may contribute to elevated stress levels and poor sleep hygiene.objectives: this study aimed to investigate mobile phone usage patterns among undergraduate medical students and evaluate their association with perceived stress and sleep quality.methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted involving 291 undergraduate medical students from south india between february and april 2023. data were collected through a self-administered google form, which included socio-demographic information, mobile phone usage behaviors, the validated perceived stress scale (pss-10), and the pittsburgh sleep quality index (psqi). participants were recruited using a voluntary opt-in sampling method. a total of 291 valid responses were analyzed. descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and one-way anova were employed, with a p-value of <0.05 considered statistically significant.results: among the 291 participants, 68.7% were female, and 94.8% attended private colleges. most students reported daily screen time ranging from 2 to 6 hours, while 15.8% indicated usage exceeding 6 hours. more than half of the participants (55.3%) used their phones after lights were turned off, and 56.4% kept their phones near their pillows during sleep. students with more than 6 hours of screen time had significantly higher mean psqi (9.02) and pss (23.78) scores compared to those with less than 2 hours of screen time (psqi: 6.81; pss: 19.81), yielding mean differences of 2.21 (95% ci: 1.03–3.39) and 3.97 (95% ci: 1.67–6.27), respectively. furthermore, screen time was significantly associated with the year of study (χ² = 20.617, p = 0.014, cramer’s v = 0.21).conclusion: the findings indicate prevalent mobile phone usage among medical students, characterized by patterns suggestive of inadequate digital hygiene. increased screen time was significantly correlated with higher levels of perceived stress and poorer sleep quality. interventions aimed at promoting balanced mobile usage and enhancing sleep hygiene are essential for safeguarding student well-being. future longitudinal studies are necessary to further explore these associations.