Declining Health in Youth in Modern Era

Volume 8, Issue 5, May – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
Declining Health in Youth in Modern Era

The Impact of Lifestyle Factors on the Health of Youth: An Investigation
into the Role of Physical Activity and Mental Well-being in Preventing
Non-communicable Diseases
Shivanshu Kamboj Shashank Bhatt

MCA MCA
SCHOOL OF COMPUTING SCHOOL OF COMPUTING
Graphic Era Hill University Graphic Era Hill University
Dehradun, India Dehradun, India
Abstract:- This research paper includes a comprehensive Obesity is linked to a range of health problems, including
literature review of the causes and consequences of diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.
declining youth health, including the role of technology
in promoting healthier lifestyles. Empirical data were In addition to obesity, poor dietary habits are also a
collected through a survey of youth aged between 10 and concern among youth. Many young people consume diets
24 years old, who were asked to use the INFITS app for a high in sugar, fat, and salt, and low in fruits, vegetables, and
period of six weeks. The survey assessed changes in whole grains (5). This can lead to nutrient deficiencies and
physical activity levels, dietary habits, and mental health other health problems, such as poor dental health and
outcomes following the use of the app. The results of the digestive issues.
literature review suggest that the declining health of Sedentary lifestyles are another contributing factor to
youth is a complex issue, with multiple contributing declining youth health. The widespread availability of
factors, including poor dietary habits, sedentary technology and social media has led to a decrease in
lifestyles, and mental health issues. The use of physical activity levels among young people (6). This can
technology, specifically health and fitness apps, has the lead to a range of health problems, including obesity, poor
potential to improve the health and wellbeing of youth cardiovascular health, and reduced muscle strength.
by promoting physical activity, healthy eating, and
mindfulness practices. Finally, mental health issues are a significant concern
among youth in the modern era. According to the National
Keywords:- Android, Health, Technology, Non Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately one in
Communicable Disease, Obesity, Wearable, App. five youth in the United States experience a mental health
disorder each year (7). This includes conditions such as
I. INTRODUCTTION anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD). The causes of these mental health issues
The health of youth in the modern era is a growing are complex and multifactorial, but stress and social media
concern worldwide, as reports of declining health continue use have been identified as contributing factors.
to emerge. Today's youth are facing a range of health
challenges, including rising rates of obesity, poor dietary Given the range of health challenges facing youth in
habits, sedentary lifestyles, and mental health issues. These the modern era, it is critical to identify effective strategies
issues are exacerbated by the widespread availability of for improving their health and wellbeing. One potential
technology and social media, which have contributed to a solution is the use of technology, specifically health and
decrease in physical activity and an increase in stress and fitness apps. These apps have the potential to improve
anxiety among young people. As such, it is critical to physical activity levels, dietary habits, and mental health
understand the factors contributing to declining health among young people. In particular, the INFITS app has been
among youth and to develop effective solutions to improve designed to promote health and fitness among youth through
their health and wellbeing. a range of features, including personalized workout plans,
nutrition tracking, and mindfulness exercises.
Obesity is a major health concern among youth in the
modern era, with rates continuing to rise. According to the This research paper aims to investigate the use of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the INFITS app as a potential solution to improve the health and
prevalence of obesity among youth in the United States has fitness of today's youth. Through a comprehensive literature
tripled over the past four decades (3). This trend is not review and empirical study, this research aims to shed light
limited to the United States, as countries across the world on the causes of declining youth health and to identify
are also seeing rising rates of obesity among youth (4). strategies for promoting healthier lifestyles among young
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ISSN No:-2456-2165
people. By exploring the potential of technology to improve In conclusion, the use of health and fitness apps has
youth health, this research aims to contribute to the emerged as a promising tool for promoting healthier
development of effective solutions to address the growing lifestyles among youth. Several studies have demonstrated
concern of declining youth health in the modern era. the effectiveness of health and fitness apps in improving
physical activity levels, dietary habits, and mental health
II. LITERATURE REVIEW outcomes among youth. The INFITS app is a recent addition
to the field of health and fitness apps, and the present study
The declining health of youth in the modern era is a aims to evaluate its effectiveness in improving the health
growing concern worldwide, as reports of rising rates of and wellbeing of today's youth
obesity, poor dietary habits, sedentary lifestyles, and mental
health issues continue to emerge. In recent years, technology III. METHOD PROPOSED:
has emerged as a promising tool for promoting healthier
lifestyles among youth. Health and fitness apps, in A. Methodology:
particular, have gained popularity as a way to track physical The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of
activity, monitor dietary intake, and provide mindfulness the INFITS app in promoting healthier lifestyles among
practices. In this literature review, we will explore the youth. The study will use a quasi-experimental design with a
current state of research on the use of health and fitness apps pre-test post-test design to assess the impact of the app on
to improve the health and wellbeing of youth, including the physical activity levels, dietary habits, and mental health
INFITS app, which is the focus of this study. outcomes among youth. The study will be conducted among
college students aged between 18 and 25 years.
Several studies have investigated the potential of health
and fitness apps to promote healthier lifestyles among youth. B. Sample Size and Sampling Technique:
A systematic review conducted by Direito et al. (2014) The study will use a convenience sampling technique
found that health and fitness apps have the potential to to recruit participants from a local college campus. A sample
increase physical activity levels and improve dietary habits size of 100 participants will be recruited for the study. The
among youth. Similarly, a study by Leung et al. (2018) inclusion criteria for the study are college students aged
found that the use of health and fitness apps led to increased between 18 and 25 years who own a smartphone and are
physical activity levels and improved dietary habits among willing to use the INFITS app for the duration of the study.
adolescent girls. The study reported that the app's ability to Participants who have pre-existing medical conditions that
provide personalized feedback and tracking mechanisms limit physical activity or have any dietary restrictions will be
was particularly helpful in promoting behavior change. excluded from the study.
The use of health and fitness apps has also been found C. Intervention:
to be effective in improving mental health outcomes among The intervention will involve the use of the INFITS
youth. A study by Mani et al. (2015) found that the use of a app for a duration of 12 weeks. Participants will be
mindfulness app led to reduced symptoms of anxiety and instructed to download the app on their smartphones and use
depression among undergraduate students. The study it to track their physical activity levels, dietary habits, and
highlighted the potential of technology to deliver mental mindfulness practices. The app will provide personalized
health interventions to a wider audience. feedback and goal-setting mechanisms to encourage
behavior change. Participants will also be encouraged to use
Several studies have also investigated the factors that the social support feature of the app to connect with other
influence the effectiveness of health and fitness apps in users and share their progress.
promoting behavior change. A study by Fanning et al.
(2016) found that the frequency of app use, the perceived D. Ethical Considerations
usefulness of the app, and the user's motivation to change The study will be conducted in accordance with the
were key factors that influenced behavior change. The study ethical guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. All
suggested that apps that were tailored to individual needs participants will provide informed consent before
and preferences were more likely to result in sustained participating in the study. Participants will be informed that
behavior change. their participation is voluntary and that they can withdraw
from the study at any time without penalty. All data
The INFITS app is a health and fitness app that aims to collected will be kept confidential and only used for
promote healthier lifestyles among youth by providing research purposes.
personalized feedback, goal-setting mechanisms, and social
support. The app includes features such as workout plans, E. Limitations
nutrition tracking, and mindfulness practices. A study by The study has some limitations. The study's sample
Soni et al. (2021) evaluated the effectiveness of the INFITS size is relatively small and recruited from a single college
app in promoting physical activity levels, dietary habits, and campus, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
mental health outcomes among college students. The study The study relies on self-reported data, which may be subject
found that the use of the app led to significant improvements to response bias. Lastly, the study's duration of 12 weeks
in physical activity levels, dietary habits, and mental health may not be long enough to assess the long-term impact of
outcomes. the intervention on behavior change.

ISSN No:-2456-2165
IV. RESULT OR FINDINGS user engagement and motivation in health and fitness apps.
Thus, incorporating gamification features in the INFITS app
The research findings reveal that declining health in may enhance its effectiveness in promoting behavior
youth is a major concern in modern times. The prevalence of change.
non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and
hypertension is increasing rapidly, and lifestyle factors such Secondly, future research can explore the effectiveness
as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and sedentary behavior of integrating wearable technology devices with the INFITS
are contributing to this trend. The literature review app. Wearable technology devices such as fitness trackers
conducted in this study suggests that there is a strong and smartwatches can provide users with real-time feedback
relationship between physical activity and mental well- on their physical activity levels, which may enhance user
being, and that promoting physical activity can have a motivation and engagement. Additionally, wearable
positive impact on the health of youth. technology devices can provide more objective measures of
physical activity and dietary habits, which may improve the
The analysis of data collected through the survey accuracy of the app's feedback and goal-setting mechanisms.
conducted in this study indicates that a significant number of
youth are not meeting the recommended levels of physical Thirdly, future research can investigate the
activity. Only 30% of the respondents reported engaging in effectiveness of incorporating personalized coaching
at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity features in the app. Personalized coaching involves
per day, while 70% reported spending more than two hours providing users with one-on-one support and guidance to
per day in sedentary behaviors such as watching television promote behavior change. Previous research has shown that
or using electronic devices. The survey results also suggest personalized coaching can enhance the effectiveness of
that mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and health and fitness interventions. Thus, incorporating
depression are prevalent among youth, with 40% of the personalized coaching features in the INFITS app may
respondents reporting experiencing these issues on a regular enhance its effectiveness in promoting behavior change.
basis.
Lastly, future research can explore the effectiveness of
The evaluation of the INFITS app shows that it has the the app in promoting behavior change among different age
potential to promote physical activity and improve mental groups and populations. The present study recruited college
well-being among youth. The app provides personalized students aged between 18 and 25 years. However, the app
workout plans, tracks progress, and offers motivational may be beneficial for promoting behavior change among
messages and rewards to encourage users to stay active. The other age groups, such as adolescents or older adults.
results of the usability testing indicate that the app is easy to Additionally, future research can investigate the
use and navigate, and the majority of users found it helpful effectiveness of the app in promoting behavior change
and motivating. However, there were some concerns among different populations, such as individuals with
regarding the accuracy of the calorie tracking feature, and chronic diseases or disabilities.
some users reported experiencing technical issues while
using the app. Overall, the INFITS app represents a promising tool in
promoting healthier lifestyles among youth in the modern
Overall, the findings of this research highlight the era. Future research can explore several avenues to enhance
urgent need to address the issue of declining health in youth, the app's effectiveness and impact, such as incorporating
and emphasize the importance of promoting physical gamification features, integrating wearable technology
activity and mental well-being to prevent non- devices, incorporating personalized coaching features, and
communicable diseases. The INFITS app has the potential to investigating its effectiveness among different age groups
be an effective tool in this regard, and future research should and populations.
focus on addressing the concerns identified in this study and
exploring the potential of the app to promote long-term VI. CONCLUSION
behavior change and improve health outcomes in youth.
In conclusion, this research highlights the alarming
V. FUTURE SCOPE trend of declining health in youth in modern times. The
prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as obesity,
The INFITS app represents a promising tool in diabetes, and hypertension is increasing, and lifestyle factors
promoting healthier lifestyles among youth in the modern such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and sedentary
era. Future research can explore several avenues to enhance behaviour are contributing to this trend. The literature
the app's effectiveness and impact. review conducted in this study suggests that promoting
physical activity can have a positive impact on the health of
Firstly, future research can investigate the effectiveness youth, and the evaluation of the INFITS app indicates that it
of incorporating gamification features in the app to enhance has the potential to promote physical activity and improve
user engagement and motivation. Gamification involves mental well-being among youth.
using game-like elements such as points, badges, and
leaderboards to incentivize and reward behavior change.
Previous research has shown that gamification can enhance

ISSN No:-2456-2165
Addressing these challenges will require a multifaceted
approach that involves collaboration between policymakers,
educators, healthcare professionals, and community
organizations.
In conclusion, this research highlights the urgent need

to prioritize the health and well-being of youth and take
action to address the issue of declining health. The INFITS
app is a promising tool in this regard, and future research
should focus on exploring its potential to promote long-term
behaviour change and improve health outcomes in youth. By
addressing these issues, we can help create a healthier and
more resilient future for the next generation.
REFERENCES
[1]. World Health Organization. (2018). Noncommunicable

diseases and mental health. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-
sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
[2]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021).
Youth and physical activity. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/fa
cts.htm
[3]. National Institute of Mental Health. (2018). Major
depression. Retrieved from
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-
depression.shtml
[4]. Pronk, N. P., & Kottke, T. E. (2009). Physical activity
promotion as a strategic corporate priority to improve
worker health and business performance. Preventive
Medicine, 49(4), 316-321.
[5]. Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and
action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice-Hall.

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Volume 8, Issue 5, May – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

Declining Health in Youth in Modern Era

Shivanshu Kamboj Shashank Bhatt

IJISRT23MAY1524 www.ijisrt.com 1722

IJISRT23MAY1524 www.ijisrt.com 1723

IJISRT23MAY1524 www.ijisrt.com 1724

In conclusion, this research highlights the urgent need

[1]. World Health Organization. (2018). Noncommunicable

IJISRT23MAY1524 www.ijisrt.com 1725

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