Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42204593›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2026

Effects of reducing screen media use on mental health, sleep, physical activity, heart rate variability, and behavioral patterns in peergroups of young people: a study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Jesper Schmidt-Persson, Anne Kaer Gejl, Kasper Berg Philipsen, Maja Sulstad Johansen, Jonas Mathiesen, Rachael Taylor, Trine Flensborg-Madsen, Peter Lund Kristensen, Anders Grøntved

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07531290 (Effects of Reducing Screen Media Use on Mental Health, Sleep, Physical Activity, Heart Rate Variability, and Behavioral Patterns in Peer-groups of Young People), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07531290 nanot yet recruitingnot on this map

Effects of Reducing Screen Media Use on Mental Health, Sleep, Physical Activity, Heart Rate Variability, and Behavioral Patterns in Peer-groups of Young People: A Study Protocol for a Cluster-randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of Southern DenmarkRan2026 to 2027Enrolled240ConditionsMental Health, Social Interaction, Sleep, Physical ActivityArmsScreen media reduction
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jesper Schmidt-PerssonDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.
Anne Kaer GejlDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark. akgejl@health.sdu.dk.
Kasper Berg PhilipsenDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.
Maja Sulstad JohansenDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.
Jonas MathiesenDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.
Rachael TaylorDepartment of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Trine Flensborg-MadsenChild Psychological Development, National Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Peter Lund KristensenDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.
Anders GrøntvedDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDigital media has become deeply embedded in the daily lives of young people, raising concerns about potential effects on mental health, sleep, and physical activity. Although observational studies suggest associations between extensive screen media use and adverse health outcomes, causal evidence remains limited due to confounding and reliance on self-reported measures. Most experimental studies have also focused on individual-level interventions and adult populations. In addition, little is known about how screen media use may influence social dynamics among peers. The PeerScreen trial aims to investigate the effects of reducing screen media use on mental health, sleep, physical activity, heart rate variability, and behavioral patterns among adolescents and young adults within naturally occurring peer groups.

methodsThe PeerScreen trial is a parallel-group cluster-randomized controlled trial in which peer groups of adolescents and young adults aged 13-24 years are randomized to either a four-week screen media reduction intervention or a control condition. Participants in the intervention group will be instructed to reduce smartphone use to one hour per day and television, computer, and tablet use to 14 h per week, and leave screen media devices outside the bedroom. We plan to recruit 80 peer groups including 2-6 peers. Data collection combines questionnaires on mental health and well-being, daily reports of mood, sleepiness, and social interactions, and objective monitoring of screen media use, sleep, physical activity, and heart rate variability using a custom application and a wearable device. Bluetooth beacon data will be used to objectively assess social interactions and geolocation data will be used to add context to the observed interactions. DISCUSSION: This study will provide detailed experimental evidence on the effects of reducing screen media use among young people in a real-world peer context and may advance understanding of both individual and social mechanisms linking screen media use to well-being and behavioral measures.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT07531290 Date of registration: 2026-04-15.

Indexed as

ExerciseHeart RateMental HealthPeer GroupScreen TimeSleepAdolescentDigital MediaFemaleHumansMaleMedia ExposureRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSocial GroupYoung AdultDigital mediaMental healthPeer groupPhysical activityPhysiological stressScreen timeSleepSocial interactionWearable device

Identifiers

PMID42204593
PMCPMC13397752

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.