Brief Reports
Smartphone technology to monitor physical activity among medical students and its association with mental distress
Authors:
Yasodha Dissanayake,
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, LK
About Yasodha
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences
Janith Warnasekara ,
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, LK
About Janith
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences
Suneth Agampodi
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, LK
About Suneth
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences
Abstract
With the advancement of technology, smartphones have become a widely available tool in day-to-day activities. However, the feasibility of using technology for monitoring physical activities is not well described. A cross-sectional longitudinal study was conducted among fourth-year medical undergraduates of the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. Students were invited to install the “Pacer” android app, a smartphone pedometer application to their smartphones. By using the application, daily footstep counts were recorded by them for a period of one week. Data were collected from 45 medical undergraduates (26 females, 19 males). The mean daily steps count of participants was 5444.6 (SD-2132.8) with a range of 2132.8 to 12709.4. None of the participants reached the required step count every day. Students residing in their own homes had a lower step count. The students who had distress or anxiety disorders had low step counts compared to the other students.
How to Cite:
Dissanayake, Y., Warnasekara, J. and Agampodi, S., 2022. Smartphone technology to monitor physical activity among medical students and its association with mental distress. Anuradhapura Medical Journal, 16(2), pp.29–32. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/amj.v16i2.7702
Published on
15 Jul 2022.
Peer Reviewed
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