Abstract
BackgroundA major contributor to the growing obesity crisis is screen based sedentary behaviour among young children. Media parenting practices may be an important determinant of children’s screen time, however published research exploring the influence of parenting practices on children’s screen time has mainly focused on children’s television use and the parenting practices of the mother. This study examined children’s use of mobile media devices (as well as television use) and included the role of fathers in media parenting, allowing a fuller understanding of the role mothers’ and fathers’ media parenting practices play on children’s screen time in the current media environment.MethodsSecondary data analysis was conducted using data from 62 children between 1.5 and 5 years of age and their parents (39 mothers, 25 fathers), who were part of the Guelph Family Health Study - phase 2 pilot. Linear regression using generalized estimating equations was used to examine associations between media parenting practices and children’s weekday and weekend screen-time.ResultsMothers’ screen-time modeling, mealtime screen use, and use of screens to control behaviour were positively associated with children’s weekday screen-time. Mothers’ practices of monitoring screen-time and limiting screen-time were inversely associated with children’s weekday screen-time. Fathers’ mealtime screen use was positively associated with children’s weekday screen-time; whereas fathers’ monitoring screen-time and limiting setting were inversely associated with children’s weekday screen-time. Fathers’ modeling and use of screens to control behaviour was not significantly associated with children’s weekday screen time. While most associations were similar for weekend day screen time there were a few differences: Fathers’ use of screens to control behaviour was positively associated with children’s weekend screen-time. Mothers’ and fathers’ modeling and mealtime screen use were not significantly associated with children’s weekend screen time.ConclusionMothers’ and fathers’ media parenting practices were associated with children’s screen-time. Interventions aimed at reducing children’s screen-time should address both mothers’ and fathers’ media parenting practices.
Highlights
A major contributor to the growing obesity crisis is screen based sedentary behaviour among young children
Families were eligible to participate in the Guelph Family Health Study (GFHS) if they had at least one child aged 1.5–5 years at the time of recruitment, lived in or near Guelph, Ontario, Canada, had a parent who could respond to questionnaires in English, and the children were without severe health conditions that would prohibit participation in study activities
Participant children had mean Body Mass Index (BMI) z score of 0.7 (1.04), mothers had a mean BMI of 28 kg/m2 (7.67), and fathers had a mean BMI of 27 kg/m2 (4.50)
Summary
A major contributor to the growing obesity crisis is screen based sedentary behaviour among young children [3,4,5] Both observational and intervention research has shown that higher levels of screen time, typically measured as TV viewing, is associated with increased risk of obesity among children [6, 7]. With only 15% of Canadian preschoolers meeting the Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for the Early Years of less than 1 h of recreational screen time per day [8, 9], identifying effective strategies to reduce young children’s screen time is needed To inform such strategies, we must first understand key determinants of children’s screen time
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