Purpose: We examine how adolescent free time allocation-namely, screen time and outdoor time-is associated with mental health and academic performance in rural China.
Methods: This paper used a large random sample of rural junior high school students in Ningxia (n = 20,375; =13.22), with data collected from self-reported demographic questionnaires (to assess free time allocation), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (to assess mental health), and a standardized math test (to measure academic performance).
Int J Environ Res Public Health
November 2022
As digital devices like computers become more widely available in developing countries, there is a growing need to understand how the time that adolescents spend using these devices for recreational purposes such as playing video games is linked with their mental health outcomes. We measured the amount of time that adolescents in rural China spent playing video games and the association of video game time with their mental health. We collected data from primary and junior high schools in a poor, rural province in northwest China ( = 1603 students) and used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21) to measure mental health symptoms.
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