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Updated: Oct 19, 2025

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
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Association between Leisure Screen Time and Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Spanish Children

Àurea Cartanyà-Hueso1, Cristina Lidón-Moyano1, Adrián González-Marrón1

  • 1Group of Evaluation of Health Determinants and Health Policies, Department of Basic Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|September 27, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Excessive daily leisure screen time in Spanish children is linked to increased emotional and behavioral problems. This highlights screen time as a potential risk factor needing further investigation in child health.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Child Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Leisure screen time is a prevalent activity among children globally.
  • Understanding its impact on child development is crucial for public health.
  • Previous research has suggested potential links between screen time and behavioral issues, but more specific data is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between daily leisure screen time and emotional and behavioral problems in Spanish children.
  • To quantify the risk of developing problems based on screen time duration.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study utilizing data from the 2017 Spanish National Health Survey.
  • A representative sample of 4073 Spanish children aged 4-14 years was analyzed.
  • Emotional and behavioral problems were assessed using the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, with screen time categorized into four levels.

Main Results:

  • Children spending ≥180 minutes of daily leisure screen time showed a significantly higher risk of emotional and behavioral problems compared to those with <60 minutes.
  • Specific risks included emotional symptomology (aPR: 2.09), conduct problems (aPR: 1.85), and peer problems (aPR: 1.78).
  • Increased screen time was also associated with less prosocial behavior (aPR: 2.20).

Conclusions:

  • Significant associations exist between daily leisure screen time and emotional/behavioral problems in Spanish children aged 6-14.
  • These findings suggest that screen time should be considered a potential risk factor in pediatric health.
  • Further confirmation through longitudinal cohort studies is recommended to strengthen these conclusions.
Abstract

Keywords:
Spainadolescentchildemotionproblem behaviorscreen time

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