Association of screen time and physical activity with health-related quality of life in college students

Objective To determine the association between screen time and physical activity with quality of life among Chilean university students. Methods Cross-sectional and analytical study conducted on 726 first-year university students who replied three questionnaires: Youth Risk Behavior Survey, WHO Quality of Life-BREF scale, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results There were differences in overall quality of life (p < .001) and level of satisfaction in health (p < .01) according to screen exposure time. These results follow a linear trend for all the quality of life domains (p < .01), and they indicate that there is an inverse association between screen time and quality of life. Conclusion There is an inverse association between screen time and quality of life in university students. Students with a longer screen exposure time showed a lower quality of life, specifically in the domains of social relationships and psychological health, regardless of sex, physical activity, or socioeconomic level.