Exploring perceptions and awareness of artificial light: A qualitative study among medical and non-medical college students in an urban area of Southern India
Background/Aim: Exposure to artificial light is linked to increased productivity but may also contribute to sleep disturbances, eye strain and psychological issues. This qualitative study investigated the perceptions and awareness of artificial light among professional college students in Mangalore,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Medical Society of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, University of Banja Luka. Faculty of Medicine
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Scripta Medica |
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| Online Access: | https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2490-3329/2025/2490-33292503469M.pdf |
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| author | Mithra Prasanna Thapar Rekha Mallya Ajay Prabhakar Madhu Malar Pandey Sonali Agrawal Yash Vats Anmol Agarwal Shreya Maurya Sarthak Patel Sneha Mohanty Marmit Hooda Divya |
| author_facet | Mithra Prasanna Thapar Rekha Mallya Ajay Prabhakar Madhu Malar Pandey Sonali Agrawal Yash Vats Anmol Agarwal Shreya Maurya Sarthak Patel Sneha Mohanty Marmit Hooda Divya |
| author_sort | Mithra Prasanna |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background/Aim: Exposure to artificial light is linked to increased productivity but may also contribute to sleep disturbances, eye strain and psychological issues. This qualitative study investigated the perceptions and awareness of artificial light among professional college students in Mangalore, Karnataka. Methodology: This qualitative analysis included two focus group discussions (FGD) conducted between April and May 2023. One FGD each was conducted among the second-year medical undergraduate (MBBS) students from the study institute and non-medical students from another Professional College in the urban area of Mangalore. This college was selected using a convenience sampling technique. Two FGDs were held with 20 participants to explore artificial light's benefits and harmful effects in daily life. Results: Participants acknowledged the essential role of artificial light in enhancing productivity, enabling late-night study sessions and facilitating work in poorly lit environments. Comments highlighted that artificial light is integral to modern activities, including cinematography and navigation. However, concerns emerged regarding its adverse effects, including eye strain, headaches, sleep disturbances and potential psychological issues like anxiety and depression. Many noted that excessive exposure to artificial light disrupts circadian rhythms, contributing to insomnia and other health problems. Conclusion: The findings emphasise the need for greater awareness of the implications of artificial light use, promoting healthier practices and informed decisions among students. Educational initiatives and public health strategies should focus on promoting healthier practices and informed decisions to mitigate its risks. Future studies could explore broader sample sizes, diverse demographics and long-term interventions to develop comprehensive measures for balancing artificial light use in daily life. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1e356c6481654f41bb648f3f9976f77e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2490-3329 2303-7954 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Medical Society of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, University of Banja Luka. Faculty of Medicine |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scripta Medica |
| spelling | doaj-art-1e356c6481654f41bb648f3f9976f77e2025-08-20T03:56:38ZengMedical Society of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, University of Banja Luka. Faculty of MedicineScripta Medica2490-33292303-79542025-01-0156346947610.5937/scriptamed56-551222490-33292503469MExploring perceptions and awareness of artificial light: A qualitative study among medical and non-medical college students in an urban area of Southern IndiaMithra Prasanna0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-411XThapar Rekha1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2278-1445Mallya Ajay2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2280-3176Prabhakar Madhu Malar3https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7442-1388Pandey Sonali4https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9462-1675Agrawal Yash5https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0438-7302Vats Anmol6https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7456-8127Agarwal Shreya7https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9824-4235Maurya Sarthak8https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5796-0346Patel Sneha9https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1867-7345Mohanty Marmit10https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1284-228XHooda Divya11https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8728-1900Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaManipal Academy of Higher Education, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Department of Community Medicine, Manipal, IndiaBackground/Aim: Exposure to artificial light is linked to increased productivity but may also contribute to sleep disturbances, eye strain and psychological issues. This qualitative study investigated the perceptions and awareness of artificial light among professional college students in Mangalore, Karnataka. Methodology: This qualitative analysis included two focus group discussions (FGD) conducted between April and May 2023. One FGD each was conducted among the second-year medical undergraduate (MBBS) students from the study institute and non-medical students from another Professional College in the urban area of Mangalore. This college was selected using a convenience sampling technique. Two FGDs were held with 20 participants to explore artificial light's benefits and harmful effects in daily life. Results: Participants acknowledged the essential role of artificial light in enhancing productivity, enabling late-night study sessions and facilitating work in poorly lit environments. Comments highlighted that artificial light is integral to modern activities, including cinematography and navigation. However, concerns emerged regarding its adverse effects, including eye strain, headaches, sleep disturbances and potential psychological issues like anxiety and depression. Many noted that excessive exposure to artificial light disrupts circadian rhythms, contributing to insomnia and other health problems. Conclusion: The findings emphasise the need for greater awareness of the implications of artificial light use, promoting healthier practices and informed decisions among students. Educational initiatives and public health strategies should focus on promoting healthier practices and informed decisions to mitigate its risks. Future studies could explore broader sample sizes, diverse demographics and long-term interventions to develop comprehensive measures for balancing artificial light use in daily life.https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2490-3329/2025/2490-33292503469M.pdflightartificiallight pollutionlightingperception |
| spellingShingle | Mithra Prasanna Thapar Rekha Mallya Ajay Prabhakar Madhu Malar Pandey Sonali Agrawal Yash Vats Anmol Agarwal Shreya Maurya Sarthak Patel Sneha Mohanty Marmit Hooda Divya Exploring perceptions and awareness of artificial light: A qualitative study among medical and non-medical college students in an urban area of Southern India Scripta Medica light artificial light pollution lighting perception |
| title | Exploring perceptions and awareness of artificial light: A qualitative study among medical and non-medical college students in an urban area of Southern India |
| title_full | Exploring perceptions and awareness of artificial light: A qualitative study among medical and non-medical college students in an urban area of Southern India |
| title_fullStr | Exploring perceptions and awareness of artificial light: A qualitative study among medical and non-medical college students in an urban area of Southern India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring perceptions and awareness of artificial light: A qualitative study among medical and non-medical college students in an urban area of Southern India |
| title_short | Exploring perceptions and awareness of artificial light: A qualitative study among medical and non-medical college students in an urban area of Southern India |
| title_sort | exploring perceptions and awareness of artificial light a qualitative study among medical and non medical college students in an urban area of southern india |
| topic | light artificial light pollution lighting perception |
| url | https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2490-3329/2025/2490-33292503469M.pdf |
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