Screen time of preschool children in relation to their parents screen usage habits and family functions

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the screen time of preschool children in relation to their parents’ screen-use habits and family functions.
 Materials and Methods: We included 198 parents whose children were attending a kindergarten in Sarıçam district of Adana. Data were collected using a questionnaire and the Family Assessment Scale. Screen times were calculated by adding up the time spent in front of tablets, TV, mobile phones, and computers.
 Results: The screen times were >2 h in 57.6% children on weekdays and in 76.3% on weekends, and screen times increased as age increased. Further, 88.9% parents indicated that they had family rules about screen use, 62.6% stated that their children were in front of the screen while eating, and 44.4% said their children had a screen of their own, whereas 90.9% told that they had not received any recommendations regarding screen use from family physicians or pediatricians. Low education level of parents, lack of family rules on screen use, children having their own screens, and having received no recommendations from doctors regarding screen use were noted to increase the screen times of children. There was a relationship between the screen times of children and that of parents as well as between screen times of children on weekdays and the communication subscale of family functions.
 Conclusion: From the results of the study, individual and institutional initiatives are recommended for family physicians and pediatricians who have many contacts with this age group to turn it into an opportunity and have a more active role in advising parents regarding screen use