Screen Time, Well-Being, Sleep, and Physical Activity Among Allied Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

2026-10-23T11:24:46+00:00

Background: Screen-based activities are an important part of student life and may influence sleep, physical activity, and perceived well-being. However, descriptive information on these behaviours among Allied Health Sciences (AHS) students in local institutional settings is limited.

Objective: To describe weekday and weekend screen-time patterns, sleep behaviour and self-rated sleep quality, physical activity, and self-reported well-being among undergraduate AHS students, and to describe the pattern of these behaviours within the study group.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured, self-administered Google Forms questionnaire. Using convenience (voluntary-response) sampling, the questionnaire was distributed to undergraduate students enrolled in the B.Sc. Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT), B.Sc. Anaesthesia Technology & Operation Theatre Technology (AT&OT), B.Sc. Medical Imaging Technology (MIT), and B.Sc. Renal Dialysis Technology (RDT) programmes at an RGUHS-affiliated institution in Karnataka, India. Participation was voluntary, and responses were collected anonymously over four months (January–April 2026). The form was circulated to approximately 60 eligible students, of whom 53 submitted complete responses, corresponding to a response rate of 88.3%. The questionnaire covered demographic characteristics; academic and non-academic screen use; device preference; reasons for non-academic use; pre-sleep screen exposure; sleep duration and self-rated sleep quality; a brief, author-developed (non-validated) well-being checklist; and moderate physical activity.

Results: Of the 53 respondents, 96.2% were female and 71.7% were first-year students. The largest programme groups were B.Sc. MLT (45.3%) and B.Sc. AT&OT (41.5%). Smartphones were the main device reported by 86.8% of participants. Entertainment (32.1%) and social media (26.4%) were the leading non-academic purposes. Screen use within 30 minutes of bedtime was reported by 50.9% of respondents. Sleep quality was rated as very good by 47.2% and fairly good by 47.2%. Moderate physical activity was reported on 0 days by 26.4%, on 1–2 days by 52.8%, on 3–4 days by 15.1%, and on 5–7 days by 5.7%.

Conclusion: The cohort showed frequent smartphone-centred screen use, common screen exposure near bedtime, and relatively low participation in structured moderate physical activity. These findings support institution-level digital-wellness and physical-activity promotion initiatives, but larger studies using validated, structured measures are needed.

Effect of a Structured Educational Intervention on Biomedical Waste Management Knowledge among First-Year Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing Students: A One-Group Pre-test–Post-test Study

2026-09-07T09:42:17+00:00

Background: Biomedical waste generated during healthcare activities differs from ordinary domestic waste because a proportion may contain infectious, pathological, sharps, pharmaceutical, chemical, or other hazardous materials. If such waste is not segregated, handled, treated, and disposed of appropriately, it may create occupational, infection-control, and environmental risks. Nurses and nursing students encounter biomedical waste during routine clinical activities and therefore require adequate knowledge of safe management principles.

Objective: To assess biomedical waste management knowledge before and after a structured educational intervention among first-year Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing students and to determine the association between pre-test knowledge and selected demographic variables.

Methods: A quantitative pre-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design was used among 30 first-year Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing students at Florence Paramedical and Nursing College, Anantnag. A demographic questionnaire and a 30-item structured knowledge questionnaire were used. The intervention was based on the study topic, relevant literature, non-research sources, and expert input, and used a PowerPoint presentation, interactive discussion, and visual materials. Descriptive statistics and a paired-sample analysis were used to compare knowledge scores.

Results: The reported pre-test mean knowledge score was 18.53 ± 3.63, and the post-test mean was 22.63 ± 2.48. The reported mean increase was 4.10 points. The paired analysis reported a statistically significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores (t = 10.79, df = 29, p < 0.001). Significant associations were reported between pre-test knowledge and gender, educational status, and source of knowledge, whereas age, residence, and clinical experience were reported as non-significant.

Conclusion: The findings indicate an improvement in biomedical waste management knowledge following the structured educational intervention. Focused, repeated, and context-specific biomedical waste management education may strengthen nursing students’ preparedness for safe clinical practice. Because the study used a single-group design and a small sample, the findings should be interpreted within the limits of the study setting.

Journal of Nurses Voice and Impact

Screen Time, Well-Being, Sleep, and Physical Activity Among Allied Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Effect of a Structured Educational Intervention on Biomedical Waste Management Knowledge among First-Year Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing Students: A One-Group Pre-test–Post-test Study