Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Movement behaviours happen throughout all 24 hours of the day. Movement behaviours include sleep, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity. An optimal balance of these behaviours is important for child and adolescent health. A main type of sedentary behaviour is screen time. Screen time can include watching television, playing video games, and using smartphones and tablets. Screen time overuse is linked to poor health and learning outcomes in children and adolescents. Therefore, there have been recent school phone policies put into place by provincial Governments in Canada. However, evidence is needed to examine the effectiveness of these policies, whether they are equitable, and how to best implement them in schools. For study 1, I will examine the association between the introduction of school phone policies within Canada and subsequent changes in adolescents' screen time and other movement behaviours. I will use a large existing sample of adolescents. For studies 2 and 3, I will partner with a large public school board to evaluate school phone policies from the perspectives of educators (study 2) and students (study 3). Together, the three studies will add to the limited evidence surrounding the effectiveness of school phone policies within a Canadian context. Findings of these studies will be relevant for students, parents, educators, administrators, school boards, and government. Findings can inform updated policies and new policies that are evidence-based as well as best practices on how to implement school phone policies. Overall, these findings can support the health and happiness of Canadian youth.