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Parental factors associated with screen time in pre-school children in primary-care practice: a TARGet Kids! study
Catherine S Birken1, Jonathon Maguire, Magda Mekky
1Division of Paediatric Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8. catherine.birken@sickkids.ca
Insights
Parental factors like eating meals with screens and parental screen time significantly increase young children's screen time. Establishing family rules can help reduce it.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Child Development
- Public Health
Background:
- Excessive screen time in early childhood is a growing concern.
- Identifying associated factors is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify child and parental factors associated with screen time in 3-year-old children.
Main Methods:
- Observational study involving 157 healthy 3-year-olds and their parents in Toronto, Canada.
- Parental questionnaires collected data on child and family screen time habits.
- Descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression models were used to analyze associations.
Main Results:
- Mean weekday screen time was 104 minutes.
- Eating meals in front of a screen and increased parental screen time were linked to higher child screen time.
- Maternal employment and having a TV in the child's bedroom were also associated with increased screen time.
- Family rules regarding screen time were associated with decreased weekend screen time.
Conclusions:
- Parental behaviors and environmental factors significantly influence young children's screen time.
- Interventions targeting these parental factors may be effective in reducing screen time in preschoolers.
Objective:
To identify child and parental factors associated with screen time in 3-year-old children.
Design:
Observational study.
Setting:
Participants were recruited from a large primary-care paediatric group practice in Toronto, Canada.
Subjects:
Healthy 3-year-old children were included. A questionnaire was completed by their parents on screen time. Descriptive statistics and linear regression models were used to assess associations between child screen time and selected factors. Multivariable models included factors from the univariate analysis with P < 0·1. Estimated effects and 95% CI are reported.
Results:
A total of 157 children were enrolled (91% recruitment). The mean screen time per weekday was 104 min (similar for weekend day). In all, 10% of children had a television (TV) in their bedroom; 59% consumed at least one meal while watching TV; and 81% of parents had household rules about screen time. Controlling for maternal education and age, eating lunch and dinner in front of the screen and mother being employed were associated with an increase in child weekday screen time of 96 (95% CI 30, 192), 42 (95% CI 12, 90) and 36 (95% CI 6, 72) min/d, respectively. Eating lunch in front of the screen and an increase of 1 h of parental screen time were associated with an increase of 78 (95% CI 36, 132) and 12 (95% CI 6, 18) min/d in child weekend screen time. Family rules decreased child weekend screen time by 30 (95% CI 6, 54) min/d.
Conclusions:
Interventions that include these important parental factors should be evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing screen time.
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