Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Sanggon Nam

Abstract

The prevalence of adolescent depression in the United States is increasing as adolescents’ use of electronic screen devices increases. Some studies have found associations between screentime and adolescent depression, and other researchers have posited that screentime is not intrinsically harmful. High screentime in African American adolescents may place them at risk for worse depressive symptom outcomes, but the relationship between screentime and depressive symptoms for this population is unknown. The three research questions of this study addressed whether there is a relationship between screentime and depressive symptoms in African American adolescents, and whether sleep duration and the frequency of physical activity mediate the relationship, controlling for age and sex. This quantitative correlational study used the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The conceptual framework presupposed that screentime can predict depressive symptoms and that sleep duration and frequency of physical activity potentially mediate the relationship between the two variables. The binary logistic regression and mediation analyses results indicated screentime as a significant but weak predictor of depressive symptoms. Exposure slightly lowered the likelihood of depressive symptoms [(OR = .948, 95% CI (.908, .990)]. Only sleep duration was a significant partial mediator of small effect [Effect = .006, CI (.001, .013)]. There are likely stronger predictors of depressive symptoms than screentime, but education on sleep hygiene, monitoring of screentime and depressive symptoms, and advocacy for online safety are needed. Social change amid technological advances requires ongoing research on how screentime can preserve the benefits of socializing, learning, and entertainment while protecting mental health.

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