Parental counseling is effective in reducing screen time duration in young children

The objective of a new study was to evaluate the influence of targeted parental education on limiting screen time in early childhood. 

This was an open-label, randomized controlled trial conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Delhi, involving 120 healthy children aged 9-10 months attending the immunization clinic for measles-rubella (MR) vaccination. Primary caregivers were randomly assigned to either an ‘educational’ group (n = 60) – receiving 30 minutes of in-person active counseling with specific content and printed materials focused on reducing screen time, or a ‘control’ group (n = 60) receiving routine counseling on general health measures. Both groups were followed up, and caregivers in both groups received monthly reinforcement via telephone for six months. At the end of the six months, the study assessed the proportion of children with screen time exceeding 1 hour/day and the median duration of screen time per day. Additionally, changes in developmental and behavioral scores, measured with Ages and Stages questionnaires, were compared between the two groups.

It was found that in the educational group, only 3% of children had screen time exceeding 1 hour/day, in contrast to 53% in the control group. The median total screen duration was significantly lower in the educational group (35 minutes/day) compared to the control group (75 minutes/day). Children in the educational group also exhibited notable changes in behavioral scores, fine motor skills, and adaptive skills compared to the control group.

Hence, early parental education––initiated in infancy––proved to be a promising intervention for reducing screen exposure in children. This intervention not only limited screen time but also positively influenced developmental and behavioral skills. 

Thus, pediatricians should incorporate guidelines on screen time reduction during routine well-baby visits, and primary caregivers can be counseled at Anganwadi centers regarding the harmful effects of excessive screen exposure. Initiating educational interventions at an early age is crucial to promote age-appropriate activities and enhance the holistic development of children. 

Source: Poonia Y, Khalil S, Meena P, Shah D, Gupta P. Indian Pediatr. 2024;61(1):32-8.