Overview
- Curtin University researchers surveyed 317 students at five universities and classified them as low, moderate or high gamers by weekly hours.
- Health outcomes were similar for those playing up to 10 hours per week, with notably worse measures among those exceeding that threshold.
- High gamers recorded a median BMI of 26.3 kg/m² compared with 22.2–22.8 kg/m² in lower-use groups.
- Each additional hour of gaming was linked to a drop in diet quality after adjustments for stress, physical activity and other factors.
- Longer and late-night sessions correlated with poorer sleep, and the authors recommend breaks, earlier cutoffs and healthier snacks.