Media Parenting Scale for School-Aged Children (MEPA-20): Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version

Abstract

Background and purposeMedia parenting refers to the strategies and behaviors parents use to interact with their children regarding the amount, content, and context of screen use. Children's media/screen use is a significant indicator of media parenting practices. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Media Parenting Scale for School-Aged Children (MEPA-20). MethodsThis methodological study involved 524 parents with children aged 6–10 and was conducted between October 15, 2022, and February 15, 2023. In the data analysis, the Content Validity Index, Explanatory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses, Cronbach's alpha, Test-retest reliability, Hotelling T2 test, and item-total score correlation were used. The test-retest reliability analysis of the Turkish version of MEPA-20 was performed with 30 parents after 4 weeks. ResultsMEPA-20 consists of 20 items and three sub-dimensions (active, restrictive, and over-protective mediation). The MEPA-20 Turkish version and its three factors were found to indicate acceptable levels of internal consistency and reliability. The three-factor construct validity of the MEPA-20 Turkish version determined with Explanatory Factor Analyses was successfully confirmed with Confirmatory Factor Analysis. ConclusionThe MEPA-20 is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the media parenting practices of parents of children aged 6–10 years in the Turkish population. Practice implicationsBased on the impact of media parenting practices on child and family health, nurses should raise awareness and support parents regarding children's healthy screen use.