Association of Screen Time With Physical and Mental Health in University Students: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

In 30 seconds

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined screen-time duration and physical and mental health outcomes in university students aged 17 years or older. Across 82 studies (83 independent samples; 161,340 participants), longer screen time was associated with poorer health overall (r=0.175, 95% CI 0.133-0.217; P<.001). Associations were similar for mental and physical health, but varied by specific outcome: the association was strongest for depression, while estimates for well-being, stress, and weight-related outcomes were not statistically significant. Between-study heterogeneity was substantial.

Key findings

• Overall, longer screen time was associated with poorer health (k=83; r=0.175, 95% CI 0.133-0.217; P<.001).
• The association was strongest for depression (k=21; r=0.230, 95% CI 0.167-0.291); well-being was not significantly associated (k=7; r=0.040, 95% CI -0.146 to 0.223).
• Screen time was associated with poorer sleep quality (k=26; r=0.120, 95% CI 0.083-0.158) and eye health outcomes (k=16; r=0.277, 95% CI 0.089-0.446).
• Heterogeneity was substantial (I 2 =98.35%), and study-level moderators did not meaningfully explain it.

Why it matters

The findings suggest that screen-time duration is associated with several health outcomes in university students, but the strength of association differs across outcomes. This distinction matters when interpreting broad claims about screen use: pooled results do not imply uniform effects across physical and mental health, and the substantial heterogeneity limits how precisely the overall estimate applies to particular student populations or outcomes.

What to keep in mind

The predominance of cross-sectional studies and reliance on self-reported screen time limit causal inference. Evidence was sparse for some outcomes, and substantial heterogeneity remained unexplained.