Parent–School Digital Health Education for Reducing Screen Time and Improving Sleep Quality, Somatic Symptoms, and Academic Engagement in Adolescents
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Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a culturally adapted parent–school digital health education program in reducing adolescents’ screen time and improving sleep quality, somatic symptoms, and academic engagement.
Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental pretest–posttest study included a waitlist control group. The intention-to-treat sample comprised 240 adolescents aged 12–17 years from eight secondary schools, assigned to an intervention group (n = 121) or a waitlist control group (n = 119). The intervention included 6–8 weekly parent–student sessions focused on family media rules, bedtime screen reduction, sleep hygiene, self-regulation, and healthy alternatives to screen-based leisure. Outcomes were daily screen time, sleep quality, somatic symptoms, and academic engagement. Data were analyzed using mixed-effects models.
Findings: Compared with controls, the intervention group showed a greater reduction in daily screen time (adjusted Δ = −62.8 minutes/day, 95% CI: −79.4 to −46.2, p < 0.001, d = 0.66). Sleep quality improved significantly (Δ = −1.37, p < 0.001, d = 0.58), somatic symptoms decreased (Δ = −3.7, p < 0.001, d = 0.39), and academic engagement increased (Δ = +0.15, p = 0.001, d = 0.34). Higher adherence to family media rules strengthened effects on screen time and sleep quality.
Conclusion: Parent–school digital health education significantly reduced screen time and improved sleep, somatic symptoms, and academic engagement in adolescents.
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