Evaluation of Children’s Screen Viewing Time and Parental Role in Household Context

Abstract

Limited screen time has been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for all children and no screen time for children under 2 years of age. With the advancement in technology, the prevalence and detrimental effects of excess screen time on children has become a global problem that can lead to health issues such as obesity and other cardiovascular diseases among both adults and children. This article examines the drivers of screen-related sedentary behavior within the home context and reports on parents’ attitude in supporting children’s associated behavior. The study implemented a mixed method approach of online questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. A total of 140 questionnaires, 10 semistructured interviews, and responses from parents were used to evaluate children’s behavior toward screen use and parents’ perception. The analysis of the article has shown that parents are concerned about their children’s screen time during weekends and holidays with a significant correlation between the number of hours their children spend on on-screen activities and their level of concern ( P < .01). Also, for the same P value ( P < .01), it has been found that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between children’s screen time and their food and beverages consumption. Children’s use of screen technology is becoming a challenge for parents as they present barriers to healthy physical activities. From the parents’ viewpoint, there is a need to change the screen use habit and this requires an appropriate intervention that promotes gratifying measures to induce more active behaviors to displace screen viewing.

Awareness and attitude among parents of primary school students towards screen time in children

“…76% of the participants reported that their children were inactive due to excessive screen time in the study by Nwankwo F et al, (2019). 9 In this study 84.3% of the participants felt that reduced physical activity is an adverse effect of excessive screen time and 83.6% believed that excessive screen time can lead to overweight and obesity.…”

“…This is similar to the study by Nwankwo F et al, (2019) where 84% were concerned that their children are spending a lot of time using screen devices. 9 Hinkley T et al, in their study on parental perception of screen time in children noted that there were mixed perceptions of screen time, with benefits such as learning, education and relaxation, and risks including habit formation, inappropriate content, negative cognitive and social outcome, and detriments to health. 10 In the study by Hamilton K et al, exploring parent's beliefs about young children's screen time behaviors, improved family interactions and improved child behavior were perceived be advantages and mess and noise factor and increase in parental distress were found to be disadvantages of limiting screen time duration in children.…”

The associations between smart device use and psychological distress among secondary and high school students in Kuwait

“…Although there were weak correlations between weight and other variables for the male students, these were considered insignificant based on the large sample size. Some studies have related adolescent students’ obesity to SD overuse and the subsequent sedentary lifestyle [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ].…”

Parents’ Attitudes Toward School Students’ Overuse of Smartphones and Its Detrimental Health Impacts: Qualitative Study

“…The interview questions were designed based on a review of the literature on related topics [ 2 , 17 , 18 ]. The interview guide aimed to achieve the objectives of the study ( Textbox 1 ).…”

“…In the extant literature, most studies have used a quantitative approach to investigate parents’ perceptions of mobile technology use and its effects on their preschool children’s patterns of use [ 15 , 16 ], parents’ concerns [ 17 ], and parent-adolescent social relationships [ 2 ]. One previous study used a combined quantitative and qualitative approach to examine children’s routine behaviors regarding screen time from their parents’ perspectives and how the parents intervened to reduce the children’s sedentary lifestyle behavior [ 18 ].…”