The Correlation between Technology Usage, Health Behaviors, and Academic Performance.   

Technology can make life more convenient but can also lead to unhealthy behaviors. College students are major consumers of technology and excessive technology usage may be associated with more sedentary behaviors and poorer dietary choices.

Purpose: To examine the correlations between technology usage, with diet, sleep, physical activity and academic performance in college students.

Methods: The Institutional Review Board approved this research and 297 college students completed a survey that asked about their technology usage, diet, sleep, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and grade point average (GPA). The majority of the participants were female (78%, N=231) and evenly distributed among years in college. The survey was sent via email and the first page of the survey consisted of the inform consent, consent was implied when the participant continued with the survey. Correlations between technology usage and health behaviors were determined with SPSS.

Results: Out of the devices, T.V., desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, iPod, tablet, and mp3 player, the most used devices were mobile phone and computer with an average of nine hours a day.  Internet usage also averaged nine hours a day. BMI (mean= 24.1, range 12.9, 40.1) BMI is positively correlated with technology usage, in particular T.V (p value =.002), computer (p value =.035), and internet (p value=.034). GPA (mean=3.4, range 2.0, 4.0) is negatively correlated with the technology usage, in particular mobile phone (p value=.001), T.V (p value=.001), internet (p value=.001) and social media (p value=.001). The use of technology is associated with less than the recommended number of servings from dairy, fruits, vegetables and grains but positively correlated with sweeten beverages (p value=.001).

Conclusion: College students should be cautious of the number of hours spent using technology because technology usage appears to come with a price, not improved academic performance but poorer grades, higher body weights, and less nutritious diets. College students need to be aware that technology can adversely influence their health and academic performance.

 Research Class of 2016

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Research Advisor: Emily Heying, PhD