Use of electronic devices and screen time of pre-school children in Homagama Medical Officer of Health area

Abstract

Introduction and objectives Electronic device use and screen time are increasing health problems in children. Here, we aim to describe the use of electronic devices and screen time in preschool children in the Homagama Medical Officer of Health area. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Homagama Medical Officer of Health area from January to March 2020 before the COVID-19 travel restrictions. All children aged between 3-5 years attending ten randomly selected pre-schools were recruited into the study. Data were collected using a parent-administered questionnaire and analysed using logistic regression in SPSS. Ethical approval was obtained from Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians. Results A total of 320 children (Male-48.1%; mean age-50.1±6.9 months) were recruited. Electronic devices were used by 95.6% of children. The use of different devices were; television-86.8%, smartphone- 62.9%, laptop- 15.9%, tablet- 8.2% and desktop-5.6%. Of these children, 20.9% used devices for more than 2 hours, and 18.7% commenced using devices before one year. Higher education level of father was independently associated with use of smartphones [OR-3.3(1.8-6.3); p<0.001] and laptops [OR-6.6(1.7-25.3); p<0.01] and screen time >2 hours [OR-3.1(1.3-7.2); p<0.01]. Male sex [OR-1.7(1.02- 2.8); p<0.05] and being the only child [OR-2.1(1.2-3.6); p<0.01] was associated with use of smartphones whereas maternal employment was associated with use of laptops [OR-2.2(1.07-4.5); p<0.05]. Conclusion Electronic devices were used by over 95% of preschoolers, and over one-fifth used them for more than the recommended upper limit of 2 hours. Higher paternal education, maternal employment and being the only child were significantly associated with electronic device use.