Online Learning and Its Short-term Impact on Digital Engagement and Digital-related Health Symptoms Amongst University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a rapid shift of learning and education from traditional means to digital platforms. This paper aims to examine the impact of online learning on digital engagement and digital-related health symptoms among university students one year into the coronavirus pandemic. Methods: Data was collected through a self-administered online questionnaire after ethical approval. The questionnaire was adapted from the previously published Lifestyle Study in Youth Questionnaire. Through the questionnaire, the perception of students toward online learning was probed and recorded. Digital engagement and digital-related health symptoms were compared before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Results: The majority (97.5%) of respondents preferred face-to-face learning. The time spent on digital devices was 1.8 times higher during COVID-19 than before the COVID-19 lockdown (t-test = -18.86, p<0.0001). The total hours of sleep were reduced during COVID-19 lockdown (0.6 hours lesser) (t-test = -3.92, p<0.0001). The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test revealed significant changes in digital-related health symptoms (15 out of 17) due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Digital eye strain, dry eye syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, and upper quadrant postural and muscle strain emerged (p<0.05). Conclusion: Most university students favoured face-to-face learning compared to online learning. There was a two-fold rise in digital engagement during the COVID-19 lockdown. As a result, it has seemed to translate into reduced sleeping hours. The short-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic on digital-related health symptoms amongst university students was apparent. The long-term effects require further investigations to facilitate fact-based decision-making.