Excessive screen time and physical inactivity among school students in the Philippines

Sedentary behaviour among children has been a prominent global health concern. Previous literature showed that being inactive can impose various negative effects on individuals’ health. This is further worsened by the excessive screen time brought about by rapid advancements in technology. Conversely, health experts and organisations continue to find ways to counter-measure the adverse impact of inactive lifestyle, with physical activity being propounded as a possible intervention. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between non-academic sedentary screen time and physical inactivity among middle-school students. It also aims to design a framework for physical activity as an intervention against excessive non-academic sedentary screen time. This was achieved through a qualitative research design using the grounded theory approach. The data was collected via in-depth semistructured interviews with 22 middle school students between the age of 11 to 13 years old and 20 parents/guardians. Thematic analysis was done to analyse the data through a multi-level approach (initial coding, focused coding, and theory building). The results showed that the core category of bountiful hours of screen engagement and limited time on physical activity is due to installing Happy-place, in exchange for something and being last on the list. This entails the sequences and connections between participants' experiences. It was further revealed that these middle-school students perceive screen time as their happy place and that the presence of their friends greatly contributes towards physical activity engagement. Additionally, these students placed the least priority on physical activity as an option for daily activities. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge by developing a framework pertaining to the non-academic sedentary excessive screen time and low physical activity engagement among school students. It also informs stakeholders and the community on how middle-school students interpret their experiences with gadgets and physical activity involvement.

Text 122542.pdf Download (1MB) Official URL or Download Paper: http://ethesis.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/18605

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