2073 Open Access J Pak Med Assoc Abstract To assess the effects of excessive screen time on the health of medical and dental students due to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted in Bahria University of Health Sciences from June 2022 to September 2022 after getting ethical approval. A total of 200 students who attended online teaching modules for at least one year through online teaching Apps, were included. A structured questionnaire was distributed using google forms. The results revealed that factors including strain on the eyes, restlessness, declined academic performance and exercise during lockdown, along with feeling connected as a group had a signifcant association with increased screen time. Excessive screen time has various adverse effects on the physical and mental health of medical and dental students. For improving students’ physical and mental health during online teaching we need to change teaching strategies and support the introduction of fipped classroom. Keywords: Online Teaching, Screen Time, Academic Performance, Mental Health. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.8124 Submission completion date: 26-10-2022 Acceptance date: 06-05-2023 Introduction COVID-19 pandemic enormously changed the lives of everyone since December 2019. One signifcant shift in communication has occurred since the COVID-19 pandemic hit our lives. 1 All around the world, people were pushed towards media applications that effectively facilitated live connection and interaction among individuals, frms, countries, and even institutes. When at its peak, COVID-19 led to country-wide lockdowns in almost every part of the world, leading to new working methodologies, like work from home and online teaching and assessment. 2 A major turn in the education system for students enrolled in different universities, colleges and schools was caused due to the widespread lockdown. 3 Online education systems were implemented widely which increased the screen time for most students. 4 Online assessment and teaching strategies became a part of the educational system and were difficult to adapt by both teachers and students. 5 The communication substantially shifted from live face-to-face communication to a virtual one. Academic conferences, business meetings, education systems, and government management systems were forced to accept and adapt to the risks and challenges that COVID-19 imposed. 6 Most universities also stopped holding events like workshops, conferences, sports, and practical demonstrations. The semester and fnal examinations were also suspended which became a big concern for the students. 7 Communication through Zoom, Microsoft teams, Skype, WhatsApp, and Facetime, kept the educational and economic sectors functioning during the lockdown period. This massive change from classrooms to virtual mode raised many concerns related to the availability of technical resources, privacy issues, skilled human resources, and technical problems. 8 Previously, excessive exposure to gadgets and smart devices has been reported to increase the levels of burnout and stress. 9 Stress is defned as an emotional, physical, or mental reaction that causes tension. An increase in the screen time that was associated with lockdown turned out to be a major burnout and stress factor in most people. Screen time is the sum of time spent in front of electronic screens, such as laptops, television, and mobile phones. The defnition for excessive screen time varies in literature but mostly falls between two to three hours per day. 9 The association of stress and burnout with increased screen time has become a topic of interest for researchers globally. 9 It is often assumed that excessive exposure to smartphones and computer screens causes a lot of stress- related symptoms. These symptoms may appear in the form of cognitive problems, and psychological or musculoskeletal impairments. Most people complain of headaches, backache, and stress due to excessive exposure to online devices. Lack of physical exercise, excessive screen time, and decreased socialising are the key factors that promote frustration and mood disturbances in youngsters. 1-3,5 Department of Biochemistry, Bahria University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan; 4 4th Year MBBS Student, Bahria University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan. Correspondence: Sadia Rehman. e-mail: dr.sadia89@hotmail.com ORCID ID. 0000-0002-8026-422X SHORT COMMUNICATION Effects of excessive screen time during online teaching on the physical and mental health of medical and dental students Sadia Rehman 1 , Hasan Ali 2 , Zara Sami 3 , Muhammad Raza Sarfraz 4 , Madiha Ata 5