Patterns of Screen Time Parenting Practices among Parent-Adolescent Dyads Who Participated in a Cross-Sectional...

Little is known about the simultaneous use of screen time (ST) parenting practices in children. Hence, study objectives were to determine patterns of ST parenting practices and associations with demographic, anthropometric, and sedentary behavior measures in parents and their adolescent children (12-17 years). Dyadic survey data from Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating, a cross-sectional, internet-based study, conducted in 2014 were analyzed using latent class analysis on six ST parenting practices-permissive, rules/limits, monitoring, modeling, accessibility, and negotiated rules. Self-report model covariates included adolescent age and parent and adolescent sex, body weight category, and sedentary behavior. Based on 1200 parent-adolescent dyads, five latent classes were identified representing a continuum of practice use (high to low)-Complete Influencers (16%, reference class), Disagreeing Influencers (18%), Positive Influencers (24%), Negative Influencers (23%), and Indifferent Influencers (20%). Disagreeing, Indifferent, and Negative Influencers were 50%-81% and 45%-49% less likely to contain younger adolescent dyads and male adolescent dyads, respectively. Dyads with adolescent overweight/obesity had twice the odds of belonging to one of the other four classes. Odds of belonging to one of the other four classes were 3%-9% lower for every 1 minute/day increase in adolescent sedentary behavior. Parents utilize distinct patterns of ST practices, which are differentially associated with adolescent age, sex, weight, and sedentary behavior. Advocating for parental use of combinations of practices, like rules/limits and monitoring, to decrease their adolescents' ST may prove more beneficial than no practice use.