Patterns of Screen Time From Ages 2 to 6-7 Years in South Brazil: A Prospective Study

Screen use has become nearly universal, especially in children. Therefore, it is important not only to comprehend its effects on health but also to understand its patterns of use. We aim to describe screen use patterns among children assessed at 2, 4, and 6-7 years, based on device, period of the day, and child/family characteristics.

Longitudinal study, with participants of the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort, a population-based study including all living newborns in the city of Pelotas between 1 January and 31 December 2015. Child/family characteristics used in the study were sex, skin color, family income, and maternal education. Screen time at 2 years was evaluated by TV time. At age 4, TV time and other screens (computer and videogames) was assesed. At 6-7 years, screen use was collected for each device (TV, smartphone, tablet/iPad, computer, and videogames).

At 2, 4, and 6-7 years, 1420, 3963, and 3857 had valid screen time data, respectively. Mean total screen time ranged from ~ 2.5 h per day at age 2 to ~ 5.5 h per day at age 6-7. At 2 years, no difference in screen time was found according to child/family characteristics. In general, boys presented higher screen time values at 4 and 6-7 years. No differences for ethnicity were observed. For family income and maternal education, the extreme groups presented higher use. Higher values of screen time were also observed during the evening and for children who did not attend school nor had home activities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The results suggest that children are exceeding current screen time guidelines, with different patterns of use according to child/family characteristics. The high use of screens and more concentrated use during the evenings raise concern considering its possible negative effects on health.