Abstract
BACKGROUND: Our objective was to describe changes in screen time behavior among students before and during the suspension of in-person classes in public schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to identify factors associated with screen time during the pandemic. METHODS: Cross-sectional study, conducted by telephone survey with 591 student/guardian pairs, from two municipalities in Minas Gerais, Brazil, between June and July 2020. Demographic and socioeconomic data were collected, and screen time, measured in hours and converted to minutes. Wilcoxon test for paired samples compared screen time median before and after the pandemic's onset. Linear regression models with hierarchical input were used to estimate the associations between screen time and sociodemographic and pandemic-related variables, adjusted for sex and age. RESULTS: Student daily median screen time increased by 150%, from 120 min before to 300 min after the pandemic (p < 0.001). Male students were associated with an average increase of 11 min in screen time [95% CI: 7.59; 14.40]. Students from urban areas had 65.05 more minutes [95% CI: 60.91; 69.18] of screen time compared to those from rural areas. Family income and receipt of emergency aid significantly influenced screen time, with increases of 20 min [95% CI: 14.47; 26.56] and 28 min [95% CI: 24.81; 32.07], respectively. The screen time of guardians also proved to be a strong predictor, with an additional increase of 54 min [95% CI: 50.14; 58.07]. CONCLUSION: These findings reinforce the influence of sociodemographic and behavioral factors on the increase in students' screen time during the pandemic, highlighting the importance of variables such as household income, home environment, and guardians' behavior in young people's digital exposure.