Association of Electronic Media Use and Sleep Habits Among Secondary School Students in Al-Madinah

Objectives: To ascertain the relationship between electronic media use and sleep patterns among secondary school students in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted from July 2021 to December 2021. This study examined eight female secondary high schools, in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. The sampling technique used was the stratification of governmental schools according to their location in the north, south, east, and west. According to the WHO sample size calculator, the sample size was 375. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 (SPSS version 26) (SPSS Incl., Chicago, IL) was used for the analysis of data. Results: A total of 388 female students were recruited, from the age group 12 to 40 years, with a mean age group of 16.45 ± 4.25 years. The majority of participants in our research utilized various types of electronic devices before going to bed. Some 335 individuals reported using electronic devices on a daily basis while at school, while 357 reported using electronic devices prior to sleeping on weekends. The more time spent on electronic gadgets, the more sleep is interrupted (p-value = 0.005). This condition was more prevalent among older children: 55% of third-year children and 41% of second-year children reported having it (p = 0.01). More than 20% had difficulty sleeping. Around 5% of respondents reported experiencing frequent nightly awakenings, whereas 23% reported feeling drowsy/sleepy feeling at school. After 10:00 p.m., 43% of the population (mostly the young) headed to bed, while older children remained awake (p = 0.001). Having a mobile phone (odds ratio, OR = 2.5; p = 0.01) or tablet (OR = 2.5; p = 0.05) was a significant predictor of sleep issues in the logistic regression model. Conclusion: The use of electronic media and the amount of time secondary school children spend on it can significantly alter sleep quality, through interrupted rest, and time, from a reduced duration of sleep. Parents and care providers can help by creating awareness about the negative effects of using electronic media on sleep and health among children.