Associations between nature exposure, screen use, and parent-child relations: a scoping review

Recent research suggests that children spend increasing amounts of time engaging in screen-based activities and less time outdoors in natural environments. There is a growing body of theory-driven literature evidencing that child screen use and exposure to nature are associated with wellbeing outcomes in contrasting ways. However, few studies have explored their combinative effects, and the relational family context has been largely overlooked.

This scoping review explored associations between early-late childhood nature exposure, screen use, and parent-child relations to identify research gaps and inform future research direction.

This review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage methodological framework and other relevant guidelines for scoping reviews. A search of five electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE complete, ERIC, EMBASE, and Cochrane library) was conducted along with additional hand-searches from inception to 9/08/2024. Peer-reviewed articles published in English between 2012 and 2024 were included.

A total of 390 articles were screened by title and abstract and full text review of 96 articles was conducted. Following additional searches (hand-search and reference lists), a total of 23 eligible articles were identified. Evidence is presented in tabular and textual form and described using qualitative thematic analysis. The synthesis revealed that the relevant body of research is novel, heterogenous, and fragmented. There are various pathways through which children's screen use and engagement with nature interact within the family context; however, research exploring their synchronous and bidirectional effects on relational family processes is limited.

Findings emphasize the importance of investigating children's screen use and engagement with nature from a relational paradigm. Future studies should explore the mechanisms underpinning the reciprocal influences of nature and screen use on dyadic family processes and relational outcomes across early-late childhood. OSF REGISTRATION: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/TFZDV .