Title:

Non-Academic Screen Time and Its Impact on Diet Quality in College Students

Non-Academic Screen Time and Its Impact on Diet Quality in College Students Objectives: To determine the relationship between non-academic screen time hours and overall diet quality among college students (18-24 years) at a large, northeastern university. Methods: Data were collected between 2012-22 from the College Health and Nutrition Assessment Survey (CHANAS), an ongoing, cross-sectional study at a public northeastern university. Participants (n = 4,960) self-reported their daily hours of non-academic screen time using an online survey (Qualtrics). Non-academic screentime users were categorized into 4 separate groups: non-users and < 1 hr/day, 1-2 hrs/day, 2-3 hrs/day, and ≥ 4 hrs/day. Self-reported dietary data were obtained from three-day food records and analyzed using diet analysis software (Diet and Wellness+). Diet Quality was measured using a modified healthy eating index (mHEI). The scoring system was based on those established in the HEI-2005, -2010, and -2015. Differences in mHEI scores (0-100) in relation to non-academic screen time hours were evaluated via ANCOVA; covariates included: BMI, age, and daily steps. Results: College students reported varying levels of non-academic screen time usage: 9% reported non-use and < 1hr/day, 31% reported 1-2 hrs/day, 37% reported 2-3 hrs/day, and 25% reported ≥ 4 hrs/day. The final sample was n = 4,960 after excluding participants who did not consent and/or were missing data. On a mHEI scale of 0-100 points, college students ranged between 11.73-87.88. After adjusting for covariates, there was a negative relationship between the amount of non-academic screen time hours and diet quality. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there is a negative relationship between non-academic screen time hours and diet quality among college students at a northeastern university. These results can inform future educational practices. Further research should be done to examine the relationship between non-academic screentime hours and diet quality in this population with a focus on specific dietary components. Funding Source: New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project 1010738. Keywords: non-academic screen time; college student; diet quality

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