Health Impact of Technology Use and Associated Factors Among Children Aged 7 to 17 years in Dessie Town, Ethiopia, 2022

Background: Children’s engagement in digital technology is increasing world wide due to the development of new portable and instantly accessible technology. It is important to review existing knowledge to understand how children use of digital technology affects their well-being and health. This study aimed to assess the health impact of technology use and associated factors among children aged 7 to 17 years in Dessie town, Ethiopia, in 2022. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in Dessie town, in 2022. A semi structured questionnaire was used to interview parents with children aged 7 to 17 years. Data entry was done using Epi data 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Logistic regression was used to identify association between the dependent and independent variables. Result: The response rate was 97.8%. Approximately 17.9% and 37.6% of the participants found to exhibit inattentive behavior and poor sleep quality respectively. Child age, grade level, duration of technology use, parents’ duration of technology use, and their feeling about their child technology use showed statistically significant associations with poor sleep quality. Additionally, child age, grade level, mothers’ education level and parents duration of technology use were significantly associated with inattentive behavior in children. Conclusion: Children technology use impacts child sleep quality and attention in Dessie town. Since parents alone cannot address all issues related to children’s technology use, it is recommended that the governments, schools and health care providers assist parents by providing clear instructions and information, and by encouraging companies to reduce the addictive qualities of their devices.