Abstract
Introduction Children worldwide are being exposed to larger amounts of screen activities, and at younger ages, despite increasing evidence that excessive use of screen devices has negative impacts on child health and development. We previously presented data from our cohort study that showed that the presence of bedroom screen devices and screen use before 18 months of age resulted in more behavioural difficulties at preschool age, and the effect was mediated by sleep difficulties. How parental screen time and attitudes towards screen use could significantly shape a child’s screen use was not yet explored, yet could potentially be an avenue for effective intervention. The aim of this sub-study was to investigate the relationships between parental screen time, as well as screen use attitudes, and screen use in preschool children. Methods Parents of 460 children attending a developmental clinic completed an in-house screen use questionnaire, Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Results The mean age of the children was 3.68 years and 75.0% were boys. 73.5% were Chinese, 94.6% of parents married, with 70.4% of mothers holding a diploma or higher. The main primary diagnoses of the children were Autism Spectrum Disorder (32.4%), Speech Language Disorders (30.0%), and Behavioural Disorders (17.0%). The average daily child screen time was 3.79 hours and for parents, 5.42 hours. Daily child screen time positively correlated with daily parental screen time (r=0.26, p Conclusion Screen use in preschool children is related to their parents’ screen use duration and attitudes towards screen devices. Parental psychoeducation regarding healthier screen use in children is warranted.
Published Version
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