[Screen exposure status and related factors in children with epilepsy]

To understand the status of screen exposure in children with epilepsy and analyze the influencing factors for screen exposure time, providing a scientific basis for managing screen exposure in these children.

A convenience sampling method was used to select 275 children with epilepsy from outpatient clinics or those undergoing 24-hour electroencephalogram monitoring at two tertiary hospitals in Jinan from March to June 2023. Their parents (fathers or mothers) completed a questionnaire to collect data on screen exposure, parental screen regulation behaviors, and related information about the children and their families. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test or the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to conduct a univariate analysis of the average screen exposure time of children on school days and weekends, as well as the daily average screen exposure time. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for children whose screen exposure time exceeded the recommended guidelines (average screen exposure time on school days >1 hour or average on weekends >2 hours).

The median screen exposure duration on school days was 40 minutes, while on weekends it was 120 minutes. Among the children studied, 23.1% (63/273) had average screen exposure time exceeding 1 hour on school days, and 42.5% (117/275) had average screen exposure time exceeding 2 hours on weekends. Four children experienced seizures while using screen devices. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that using screen devices shortly before sleep, lower educational levels of parents, caregivers discussing screen content with children, and longer seizure durations in children were risk factors for exceeding recommended guidelines (P<0.05).

Some children with epilepsy have a screen exposure time exceeding the recommended guidelines. A longer seizure duration, lower parental education levels, and permissive digital parenting are closely associated with children's screen exposure time exceeding the recommended guidelines. Families and children exhibiting these characteristics should be prioritized for attention and health education.