Policy Implications of Smartphone Usage and Holistic Wellbeing Among Youth in Urban Saskatchewan: A Smart Platform Study
| dc.contributor.advisor | Katapally, Tarun | |
| dc.contributor.author | Brodersen, Kayla Dawn | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Hammami, Nour | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Zarzeczny, Amy | |
| dc.contributor.externalexaminer | Hirani, Shela | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-12-09T22:13:11Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-12-09T22:13:11Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021-12 | |
| dc.description | A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Public Policy, University of Regina. ix, 95 p. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: Screen time on multiple digital devices has become an integral part of population behavior. Globally, populations have access to a variety of digital devices and engage in high levels of screen time activities starting in early childhood. It is well established that increased levels of screen time-based sedentary behaviours have significant negative impacts on health, however, the relationship between screen time behaviours, types of devices, and holistic wellbeing remains complicated and not well understood. In particular, smartphone technology has become increasingly popular and almost all age cohorts engage in smartphone usage for a wide variety of activities. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between screen time accumulated on smartphones and holistic wellbeing among youth and young adults (13 to 21 years) in Saskatchewan urban centres. This thesis will address the following questions: 1) Is there an association between smartphone usage (internet surfing, video gaming, texting, etc.) and mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression?; 2) Is there an association between smartphone usage and physical health outcomes such as weight status?; and 3) Is there an association between smartphone usage and perceived health such as self-rated health and self-rated mental health? Methods: This study is part of the Smart Platform, a digital epidemiological and citizen science initiative for ethical population health surveillance, integrated knowledge translation, and policy interventions. Citizen science engages all participants throughout the research process either for contribution, collaboration, or co-creation of knowledge. Citizen scientists provided all data via their smartphones using a custom-built smartphone application, including a baseline questionnaire that combines validated self-report surveys to record physical activity, sedentary behaviours, screen time behaviours, demographic characteristics, and health outcomes such as mental wellbeing, weight status, and self-rated health. Results: 808 youth and young adult citizen scientists (aged 13 to 21) were recruited through Regina Public and Catholic School engagement sessions held in various high schools throughout Regina, Saskatchewan in 2018. Binomial Regression analyses were conducted to determine how quantitative measures inform the relationship between smartphone usage and holistic wellbeing in youth populations in Saskatchewan. Policy Implications: To our knowledge, this is the first digital epidemiological study to understand the association of smartphone usage with holistic health outcomes across youth and young adult populations. The findings of this study will have several policy implications, including: 1) Development of age-appropriate policy interventions to address smartphone usage; 2) Inform and influence ethical population health surveillance; 3) Advance recommendations for smartphone usage to deploy mHealth interventions to monitor, mitigate, and manage communicable and non-communicable diseases. | en_US |
| dc.description.authorstatus | Student | en |
| dc.description.peerreview | yes | en |
| dc.identifier.tcnumber | TC-SRU-15565 | |
| dc.identifier.thesisurl | https://ourspace.uregina.ca/bitstream/handle/10294/15565/Brodersen_Kayla_MPP_Spring2022.pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10294/15565 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina | en_US |
| dc.title | Policy Implications of Smartphone Usage and Holistic Wellbeing Among Youth in Urban Saskatchewan: A Smart Platform Study | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
| thesis.degree.department | Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy | en_US |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Regina | en |
| thesis.degree.level | Master's | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Public Policy (MPP) | en_US |