Universal Journal of Public Health 9(6): 454-459, 2021 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2021.090613 Association between Sleep Duration, Use of Electronic Devices and Obesity in Medical Students Tapaswini Mishra 1 , Manika Bose 2 , Prajyoti Behera 1 , Dipti Mohapatra 1,* , Arati Meher 1 , Priyambada Panda 1 , Mitu Mohanty 3 1 Department of Physiology, IMS and SUM Hospital, Siksha „O‟ Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar, India 2 Department of Pharmacology, IMS and SUM Hospital, Siksha „O‟ Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar, India 3 Consultant Pathologist, Nigam Health Clinic, Bhubaneswar, India Received October 4, 2021; Revised December 2, 2021; Accepted December 12, 2021 Cite This Paper in the following Citation Styles (a): [1] Tapaswini Mishra, Manika Bose, Prajyoti Behera, Dipti Mohapatra, Arati Meher, Priyambada Panda, Mitu Mohanty , "Association between Sleep Duration, Use of Electronic Devices and Obesity in Medical Students," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 9, No. 6, pp. 454 - 459, 2021. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2021.090613. (b): Tapaswini Mishra, Manika Bose, Prajyoti Behera, Dipti Mohapatra, Arati Meher, Priyambada Panda, Mitu Mohanty (2021). Association between Sleep Duration, Use of Electronic Devices and Obesity in Medical Students. Universal Journal of Public Health, 9(6), 454 - 459. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2021.090613. Copyright©2021 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract Background: With the advancement in technology and use of multiple electronic devices and decreasing duration of sleep, adolescents are more prone to obesity, i.e., increased BMI (body mass index). Objectives: The objectives of the study were to determine the association between sleep duration, use of electronic devices, and obesity in medical students. Methods: Medical students between the age groups 17-22 years were recruited. The study design was cross-sectional. The main study variables were the type and duration of use of various electronic devices during daytime and bedtime. The independent variable used in the study was the subjects‟ self-reported average number of hours of sleep obtained per night based on the questionnaire. To calculate the BMI, height and weight were obtained. Results: There is a significant association between short sleep duration and prolonged use of electronic devices. (p<0.01) Those who engaged in electronic devices for a longer period had significantly higher BMI (obesity) p < 0.001. Maximum use of mobile phones was found during bedtime. The males were using more mobile phones for video gaming than female medical students. Conclusions: Reducing bedtime use of electronic devices and improving sleep hygiene in adolescents could decrease the prevalence of obesity in adolescents. Keywords Sleep Duration, Electronic Devices, Obesity, Medical Students 1. Introduction The prevalence of obesity is increasing day by day in recent time, one of the main health problems worldwide. Modern technologies and the use of several electronic devices may be associated with an increase in body mass index (BMI). There is a relationship between sleep and obesity in adolescents particularly in medical students where their sleep cycle is altered [1,2]. In the last ten to twenty years, there is a sharp increase in the availability and use of electronic gadgets like mobile phones, video gaming devices, television, laptops, computers, tablets, I- pads, etc. So, this has become a very important part of adolescent lives, which has been found that about 97% of American adolescents have at least one electronic device in the bedroom. Not only do electronic devices play an important role for entertainment purposes in adolescents but also play a major role in social lives. By using various electronic devices regularly and for more periods will affect sleep which hurts adolescents‟ life [3]. Increased use of multiple electronic devices has been shifted to sleep deficiency among adolescents in the