The mediating role of the home environment in relation to parental educational level and preschool children’s screen time: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundPrevious studies suggest that preschoolers from low socioeconomic backgrounds engage in more screen time. Still, the factors in the social and physical home environment driving these differences in preschool children’s screen time are poorly understood. This study examines potential home environment mediators in the associations between parental educational level and preschoolers’ screen time.MethodsA total of 864 children aged 3–6 years and their parents participated in a cross-sectional DAGIS study in 2015–2016. Parents recorded their children’s screen time in a diary (N = 823). For the analyses, the daily average screen time at home was calculated. Parental questionnaires (N = 808) assessed educational level and eight social and physical environment factors in the home (i.e., descriptive norm for children’s screen time, parental screen use in front of children, parental importance for limiting children’s screen time, parental attitude toward societal pressures for children’s screen time, access to screens at home, parental self-efficacy for limiting children’s screen time, satisfaction of children’s screen time, and rules for limiting children’s screen time). Parental education was grouped into low, middle, and high education. The associations were tested by conducting mediation analyses adjusted by season and children’s sex and age. The significant mediators in the single-mediator models were included in the final multiple-mediator models.ResultsOf the potential eight mediators, the following four had a significant indirect association: descriptive norm for children’s screen time, parental screen use in front of children, parental importance for limiting children’s screen time, and parental attitude toward societal pressures for children’s screen time. Parents with high education had lower descriptive norm and used fewer screens in front of children compared to parents with middle or low education, and in turn, these factors were associated with less screen time among children from parents with a higher education level. Parents with high education placed greater importance on limiting children’s screen time and felt less societal pressures about children’s screen time compared to parents with low education, and in turn, these factors were associated with less screen time among children from parents with a higher education level.ConclusionsOur study recognized multiple modifiable mediators in the associations between parental education and preschool children’s screen time. When aiming to diminish socioeconomic status differences in preschool children’s screen time, the focus should be on parental role models, attitudes, and norm related to children’s screen time.

Association between home environment and preschool children’s sedentary time influenced by parental educational level in a cross-sectional survey

“…Screen time was higher among children with low PEL compared to high PEL (Lehto et al 2018). Moreover, the impact of PEL on children's screen time is reportedly mediated by descriptive norms for children's screen time, parental screen use in front of their children, parental opinions on the importance of limiting children's screen time and the societal pressures felt by parents for letting children use electronic devices (Määttä et al 2017b). This is more in line with our results.…”

“If You Let Them, They Will Be on It 24 Hours a Day”: Qualitative Study Conducted in the United States Exploring Brazilian Immigrant Mothers’ Beliefs, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Screen Time Behaviors of Their Preschool-Age Children (Preprint)

“…Furthermore, parents' own ST was seen as influencing their young children's ST. Results of the current study are similar to that of previous research that indicate an association between home social and physical environment and development of children's early behaviors including ST [11,26,30,33,41,65,66]. This finding suggests that family-centered interventions should address not only children's, but also parents', siblings' and other family members' ST and incorporate parental role modeling of healthy ST behaviors.…”

“…Consistent with previous research [10,18,28,[64][65][66][67][68][69][70], mothers participating in the current study used several parenting practices such as monitoring time and content, setting limits and having rules, and prompting child to do something else to manage their preschool children's ST. Previous research suggests that parental monitoring, especially maternal monitoring, of ST is associated with less ST for children [56,62].…”

“…Evidence suggests parents' beliefs, attitudes, role modeling, and parenting practices (e.g., establishing and enforcing rules, monitoring ST) influence children's ST [34][35][36]. Recently, studies have begun to document parental perceptions of young children's ST and parental ST practices [33][34][35][36]. However, research examining parenting and early childhood ST among low-income, minority and immigrant parents is still limited [8,18,[26][27][28].…”

“…Many habits children form during early childhood are established in the home, an important early social environment where children develop habits that impact their weight status and health [30][31][32][33]. Previous research suggests that parents play a unique and central role in establishing a home environment that promotes or hinders children developing healthy habits including ST [34,35].…”