Media Use of Young Children: The Perceptions of Public Health Nurses Working in Child Health Clinics

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Public Health Nursing
• Media Studies

Background:

• Young children's media use is prevalent and multifaceted.
• Understanding public health nurses' (PHNs) perspectives is crucial for effective guidance.
• The role of adults in mediating media exposure requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore PHNs' perceptions of young children's media consumption.
• To investigate PHNs' views on the adult role in managing children's media use.
• To identify potential areas for enhanced support and resources for PHNs.

Main Methods:

• An electronic, cross-sectional survey was administered to 183 PHNs in Finnish child health clinics.
• The survey included Likert-scaled and open-ended questions.
• Data were analyzed using statistical descriptive analysis and thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Nearly all PHNs (96.7%) observed very common media use among young children.
• Perceived impacts ranged from social, physical, and psychological (negative) to learning and communication (positive).
• PHNs identified parents as primarily responsible for intervention but acknowledged their own key counseling role; 80.9% felt parents lacked effective control.

Conclusions:

• PHNs possess awareness regarding the prevalence and impacts of media use in young children.
• PHNs acknowledge their significant role in counseling families on media habits.
• Further research is needed to enhance PHN expertise and resources, alongside exploring multi-professional perspectives.