Urban adolescents had significantly longer daily screen time than rural adolescents, males had higher odds of excessive screen time than females, and students with daily screen time >2 hours showed higher rates of hyperactivity needs, warranting interventions that account for urban-rural differences.
Urban adolescents had significantly longer mean daily total screen time than rural adolescents.
Boys had significantly longer mean daily total screen time than girls.
Rural residence was strongly associated with more frequent outdoor physical activity compared to urban residence.
Students with daily screen time exceeding 2 hours had higher rates of some/high needs on the SDQ hyperactivity scale.
The study sample consisted of school-going adolescents from urban and rural schools in five districts of a western Indian administrative division.
Multivariable regression analysis identified male sex as a significant independent predictor of excessive screen time (>2 h/day).
This research examined how much time adolescents in urban and rural areas of western India spend on screens each day, and how that screen time relates to their physical activity levels and mental health. The study surveyed 627 school-going students aged approximately 10–19 years and found that urban students spent about 20 more minutes per day on screens than rural students, and boys spent more screen time than girls. Rural students were also far more likely to engage in outdoor physical activity more than twice a week compared to their urban peers. The study also found a link between heavy screen use and psychological health: students who spent more than 2 hours per day on screens were more likely to show signs of hyperactivity as measured by a standardized questionnaire. Being male was identified as a significant predictor of excessive screen time after accounting for other factors. These findings suggest that where adolescents live—urban versus rural—shapes both how much screen time they accumulate and how physically active they are. This research suggests that public health efforts to reduce excessive screen time among adolescents in India should be tailored to account for urban-rural differences, since the factors driving screen use and physical inactivity may differ between these settings. The association between high screen time and hyperactivity indicators also points to potential mental health considerations worth monitoring in this age group.
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Upload Your LabsOka G, Ranade A, Shinde M, Kasabekar M, Pore P. (2026). Adolescents' screen time exposure and the associated physical and psychological factors: an urban-rural perspective.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1908142