Review links youth screen use with diet and health concerns
Studies from the Middle East and North Africa describe low activity and screen-related health associations, while leaving the effectiveness of proposed interventions unresolved.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Heavier screen use was linked with less healthy eating, obesity and metabolic disorders in the youth studies reviewed. Many participants also fell short of activity recommendations. These are reported associations and patterns; the abstract does not establish that screen exposure caused the health outcomes or that reducing it would improve them.
The abstract gives no pooled prevalence, effect sizes or detailed study designs. The authors also identify gaps in studies following young people over time and in intervention testing, limiting causal and practical conclusions.
Screens serve different purposes
The review discusses social media, gaming and schoolwork as reasons for substantial screen exposure. It links overall exposure with dietary and health concerns, without establishing whether these different screen activities have the same associations.
Patterns within a wider context
Boys were generally reported to be more active than girls. The review describes economic and social circumstances, cultural expectations, environmental obstacles and educational pressures as factors shaping activity and screen habits.
The original publication
Physical activity, screen time, dietary habits, and health outcomes among children and adolescents in the Middle East and North Africa region: a narrative review.
Alnaqbi SE, Sohail R, Radwan HM et al.
Front Public Health · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41069803
- Record checked
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