INFORMED CONSENT

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by _____________ from

_______________. The results of this study will be used to fulfill the requirements of our
research titled “Effects of Excessive Usage of Electronic Gadgets during COVID-19
Lockdown on Health of College Students: A Quantitative Study”. The following research is
being conducted with the aim to study the effects of gadget use on the health of college
students during the COVID-19 lockdown. The study would require respondents from college
students who are currently attending online classes. As a part of the study, the participants
would be required to provide demographic details and respond to the questionnaire. 

All the information provided by the participants would be kept confidential and will not be
misused or used for other purposes outside this research without the consent of the
participants. It is assured that none of the participants will be harmed in any manner during
the course of this research. There are no risks or benefits associated with taking part in the
study.

The questionnaire contains questions pertaining to your use of gadgets, the health symptoms
you are experiencing and general demographic details. It would take approximately 10-15
minutes to complete the questionnaire.  There is no right or wrong answers to the questions.
Please do provide honest responses to help us improve the accuracy of our research. 

Thank you for deciding to spare your valuable time for our research. We appreciate your
participation.For any queries and feedback, please feel free to contact the researchers.
Contact Details
Email :
*Participation in the research is completely voluntary. Are you willing to participate? 

Yes/No
Proceeds to next section only if YES

SECTION-A(Demographics)

1. Gender: Male / Female

2. Age:

3. Religion :

4. Nationality :

5. State :

6. Name of institution:

7. Department :

8. Under Graduate / Post Graduate :

9. Are you currently attending online classes due to lockdown? Yes/No (Continue only if
Yes)

SECTION-B(General Information on Gadget Use)

10. Please select all the gadgets you use on a daily basis from below:
o Smartphone
o Tablet
o Laptop
o Smart Watch
o Gaming Console
o E-Book Reader
o Others: ____________________________

11. Average time spent on your gadgets before lockdown (In Hrs/day)

12. Average time spent on your gadgets during lockdown (In Hrs/day)
13. Please select all the activities carried out using your electronic gadgets:

o Attending Classes
o Making calls
o Messaging
o Music
o Reading
o Research Activity
o Online Courses/ Webinars/Meetings
o Gaming
o Others:____________________

SECTION –C (Specifics on mobile phone use)

14. Average time spent on your mobile phone dailybefore lockdown :

o More than 7 hours
o 5-7 hours
o 2-5 hours
o Less than 1 hour

15. Average time spent on your mobile phone daily during lockdown :
o More than 7 hours
o 5-7 hours
o 2-5 hours
o Less than 1 hour

16. Please select all the activities carried out using your mobile phone:
o Attending Classes
o Making calls
o Messaging
o Music
o Reading
 o Research Activity
o Online Courses/ Webinars/Meetings
o Gaming
o Others:____________________

17. The average duration you talk (both incoming and outgoing) on the phone daily (in
minutes): ______________

18. Average time spent on Whatsapp everyday:

o Less than 1 hour
o 1-3 hours
o 4-6 hours
o More than 6 hours

19. Average time spent on your social media handles everyday (including Instagram,
Facebook, Twitter):
o Less than 1 hour
o 1-3 hours
o 4-6 hours
o More than 6 hours
20. Average time spent attending online classes and webinars everyday:
o Less than 1 hour
o 1-3 hours
o 4-6 hours
o More than 6 hours

21. In your opinion, do you think the lockdown has contributed to you excessively using
gadgets on a daily basis? Yes/No

22. Are you aware of the adverse effects of using mobile phone : Yes/No

23. How do you think you can minimize the adverse effects : (Please select all that apply)
 o Decrease the talking duration:Yes/No
o Increase the length of hands free: Yes/No
o Use screen time control option in mobile phone and other hand held devices:
Yes/No
o Using productivity apps like Forest:Yes/No
o Monitor screen and gadget usage time and alter them to appropriate levels:
Yes/No
o Engage in social media detox:Yes/No
o Any other method(s): _______________________

24. Do you practiceany of these measures: Yes / No

25. If no, why do you not follow these measures:

o I prefer not to practice them
o Obsessed over using gadgets
o My restrain only lasts for a few days if I try
o There is no alternative to keep myself engaged during the lockdown
o Other reasons:________________

SECTION-D (Physical complaint specifics)

26. Please check all of the below complaints that you are experiencing or have experienced
in the before lockdown :
o Headache
o Nausea
o Pain in the eye region
o Redness of eyes
o Blurring
o Back ache
o Sleeplessness
o Tiredness
o Body Pain
 o Restlessness
o Shoulder pain
o Others:_________________________
27. Please check all of the below complaints that you are experiencing or have experienced
in the during lockdown :
o Headache
o Nausea
o Pain in the eye region
o Redness of eyes
o Blurring
o Back ache
o Sleeplessness
o Tiredness
o Body Pain
o Restlessness
o Shoulder pain
o Others:_________________________

28. Are these complaints persistent?( Lasts for more than a month) Yes/No

29. What time did you go to bed before lockdown

30. What time did you go to bed during lockdown

31. What time did you wake up in the morning before lockdown

32. What time did you wake up in then during lockdown

33. How many hour of physical activity do you engage in before lockdown? (Example:
walking, playing etc)?_____
 34. How many hour of physical activity do you engage in during lockdown? (Example:
walking, playing etc)?_________

Questionnaire Specifics:
Questionnaire Constructed as part of the study “Effects Of Excessive Usage Of Electronic
Gadgets During COVID-19 Lockdown On Health OfCollege Students: A Quantitative Study”
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
Tamil Selvan P
Research Associate, Mangala College of Allied health sciences Mangalore Karnataka–
575029.
Kousalya V Kumar
Project Coordinator, South Asia Hydromet Forum, Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early
Warning System for Asia and Africa (RIMES)
RaguKumar V
Research Associate, Department of Brien Holden Eye Research Centre LV Prasad Eye
InstituteHyderabad-500086