PGY3 Saint Barnabas Hospital New Rochelle, New York, United States
Background: Population-based studies continue to show associations between excessive screen time in early childhood and cognitive, language, and social/emotional delays, as well as associations with increased BMI and fewer minutes of sleep. In 2016, the AAP recommended children less than 2 years should have no screen time except video chat. Children between 2 to 5 years should have no more than 1 hour a day of media consumption. For parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media, it is recommended to choose high-quality programming/apps and use them together with children. Studies in Denmark and Turkey found preschool children have higher screen time than recommended. There has been a paucity of studies that explore the awareness of parents in the US about these guidelines in the last couple of years. Objective: Identify practices and perceptions of screen time among parents of preschool children in the Bronx. Design/Methods: Cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire completed by parents/guardians during clinic visits for children up to 5 years of age at a pediatric ambulatory care center from June 2022 to May 2023. Results: 201 caregivers, 72% mothers, participated in the study. Of the children 0 to 2 years, 70% had screen time, with a mean of 117 mins/day. Of the children between ages 2 to 5 years, 91% had screen time, with a mean of 190 mins/day. 79.1% respondents denied the knowledge of the AAP screen time guidelines. 20.9% respondents who reported having this knowledge, only 5.5% and 2% could correctly answer the recommended hours for those aged less than 2 years and between 2 to 5 years, respectively. There was no observed relationship between the number of either adults or preschoolers in the household with excess screen time of the preschooler. For the knowledge of associated risk, 69.6% associated various health risks, whereas 16.4% stated there were no risks with excess screen time. 30% of respondents had received information about screen time. Among them, 44.6% received it from the Internet, 43.1% from pediatricians, and 27.7% from school/government campaigns.
Conclusion(s): This study found significant lack of awareness in parents regarding screen time guidelines and the associated harmful effects on preschool children. This study also found much higher screen time than recommended in preschool children. Addressing these disparities necessitates regular and more comprehensive dialogues with parents during well-child visits, encouraging alternate activities, and advocating less screen time.
