SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Science and Humanities [SICASH]
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SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Science and Humanities is organized by the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), the annual research multi-conference of the faculty.
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Publication Open Access Screen Use Among Preschool Children in the Galle Municipal Council Area: Prevalence, Patterns, and Associated Factors from Parents’ Perspectives(School of Nursing, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Madubhani, W.G.K.; Arachchige, S.I.W.; Godage, C.J.; Prabhavi, K.K.G.D.; De Silva, D.K.M.; Sriyani,K.A.Prolonged screen exposure during early childhood has been linked to negative developmental, behavioural, and health consequences. With increasing access to electronic screen devices in Sri Lanka, understanding usage patterns among pre-school-aged children is essential for guiding parental awareness and public health interventions. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence, usage patterns, andassociated factors of screen use among preschool-aged children in the Galle municipal council area. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 196 parents of three to five-year-old preschoolaged children. Data were collected using a self-designed, pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire, which underwent content validation by a panel of five experts in the area. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact tests were performed using SPSS version 26, with p<0.05 as statistical significance. Among the preschool children, the majority were girls (53.6%) and five years old (42.9%), with most living in nuclear families (63.8%). Among them, 34.2% exceeded the WHO-recommended screen time limits. Smartphones (48.9%) and televisions (46.8%) were the most used devices. Most children (65.8%) used screens for less than an hour, but 34,2% were overusing them. Significant associations with screen overuse were found for children’s gender (p=0.001), family type (p=0.002), living arrangements (p = 0.001), parental age (p = 0.001), employment status (p = 0.001), and number of children in a family (p = 0.001). In conclusion, a considerable proportion of pre-school children in the Galle Municipal Council area are exposed to excessive screen time. Interventions focusing on parental education and behaviour modelling are recommended to promote healthy screen use practices.Publication Open Access Prevalence of Postpartum Depression and Self-harming Ideation among Postnatal Mothers in Selected MOH Areas in the Western Province, Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Ratnayake, S.M.S.; Nimeshika, K.M.H.; Senevirathna, S.P.T.A.; Tharuka, D.S.; Karunathilaka, M.A.N.; Wijewardhana, S.H.M.P.E.H.; De Silva, T.R.U.; Haq, M.R.I; Gunathilaka, T.L; Herath, H.M.C.M.Postpartum depression (PPD) is a form of depression that occurs in a postnatal mother following childbirth. Stati sti cs in 2018 esti mated that 17.7% of mothers experience PPD globally with a prevalence ranging from 7-33% in Asian countries. In South Asia, the reported prevalence ranges from 5-49%. A few studies have assessed its prevalence, and no research has been conducted in MOH areas of the Western Province. Additi onally, there is limited focus on assessing self-harming ideati on in mothers following delivery in Sri Lanka. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of PPD and self-harming ideati on among postnatal mothers in selected MOH areas in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. Mothers with PPD between 1 to 6 months postpartum were identi fi ed using a validated screening tool, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EDPS) with a cut-off mark of 9 or more through an intervieweradministered questi onnaire. Self-harming ideati on was assessed through the 10th questi on in the EDPS ‘The thoughts of harming myself has occurred to me’. A total of 422 mothers, selected using simple random sampling from 10 MOH areas across all three districts in the Western Province, parti cipated in the study, with a 100% response rate. PPD was evident in 97 mothers out of 422 scoring 9 or more on EDPS highlighti ng a prevalence of 22.99%. Additi onally, 35 mothers (8.29%) out of 422 were identi fi ed as having self-harming thoughts. Among these, 18 (51.42%) of mothers experienced such thoughts ‘hardly ever’, 15 (42.85%) ‘someti mes’, and 2 (5.71%) ‘quite oft en’. Approximately, one in fi ve mothers experience PPD and one in thirteen mothers experience selfharming ideati on. This emphasizes the signifi cance of addressing postnatal maternal health focusing on prenatal and postnatal care.