D1.408 - Relationship between excessive screen use and allergic diseases

It is increasingly common for teenagers to spend a large part of their day (and/or night) playing games, which often causes concern within the family, as this can affect not only their studies, but also other aspects of their lives, such as sleeping hours, eating, physical activities, family relationships. Objective: to assess whether excessive screen time is prevalent among patients with allergic disease.

Three hundred and sixty-eight adolescents (11 to 13 years: 238; 14 to 16 years: 130) enrolled in public schools in Uruguaiana, RS, answered a standardized questionnaire about the use and abuse of electronic games. One hundred and seventy-two were male; 35 reported having asthma, 99 allergic rhinitis, seven atopic dermatitis, 12 asthma associated with allergic rhinitis, and 211 without allergic disease; maternal education – incomplete elementary school – 24/368; and paternal education – incomplete elementary school – 50/368.

Males (M) were more concerned about their behavior in relation to electronic games Female/M 13 (6.8) / 27 (15.9) p: 0.007, felt the need to spend more time playing, F/M 26 (13.5) / 43 (25.0) p: 0.007, lost interest in hobbies F/M 11 (5.7) / 22 (12.9) p: 0.027, but despite this they continued to practice, even knowing that such behavior was causing them problems with themselves and with other people F/M 19 (9.9) / 37 (21.8) p: 0.002. Regarding having allergic diseases, we did not observe 

Despite the excessive use of screens among the adolescents interviewed, and the impact on their quality of life, there were no significant changes in relation to allergic diseases.