To Compare the Cardiovascular Reactivity to Mobile Games Induced Stress In Medical Students

ABSTRACT

Background: Students usually prefer to play games on theirmobile phones to avoid stress which is a major cause of CVDnowadays. CVR to stress can be assessed throughcardiovascular parameters such as blood pressure, heart rateand pulse transit time. The present study was conducted tocompare the Cardiovascular Reactivity (Heart rate, bloodpressure, pulse transit time) before, during and after playingmobile games and to compare cardiovascular parameters onthe 1st day and last day of study.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study wasconducted among 100 MBBS students in the age group of 19to 22 years at KD Medical College, Hospital and ResearchCentre, Mathura. Subjects over the period of 2 months wereselected for the study. The subjects were asked to have a lightbreakfast. Then in the sitting position; cardiovascularparameters and anthropometric data of the subjects weretaken 10 minutes before the game. All the rules of(CRASHLAND) mobile game were explained to the subjectsbefore letting him/her to start the game. After taking theseparameters the subject were asked to play the mobile game for30 minutes. Then the game was withdrawal and within 10minutes of interval; all these parameters were taken again. Ifany discomfort was reported by the subject then he/she wasexcluded from this study. Data was analyzed using SPSSversion 20. Variation of Cardiovascular Reactivity before,during and after playing mobile games were accessed byRepeated Measure ANOVA. Comparison of cardiovascularparameters on the 1st day and last day of study of a subjectwas accessed by Paired “t” Test.Results: A positive correlation was found between the BMIand various CVR parameters such as heart rate, SBP, DBP,MAP, pulse transit time, pulse wave velocity during and afterplaying the game. Repeated measure ANOVA analysed thatthere was no significant increase in pulse wave velocity of thesubject before, during and after playing mobile game. One wayANOVA analysed that there was significant increase in SBPand DBP of the subject, suggesting increased stressassociated with playing mobile games.Conclusion: Our study concluded that a positive correlationwas found between the BMI and various CVR parameters suchas heart rate, SBP, DBP, MAP, pulse transit time, pulse wavevelocity during and after playing the game.