Screen Time in Children Under-five

During the unstructured time of childhood, viewing screens is primarily a means of entertainment. The present study reviewed the burden of the problem, delineated the associated factors, correlated & evaluated the impact of screen time on the overall health of under-five children, and also illustrated the interventions to reduce screen time.

It searched the Published articles utilizing the reputed databases and observed-

• Variation in the burden of screen time from 21% to 98% in middle-income and 10% to 93.7% in high-income countries. 
• The social-ecological model illustrated associated factors and correlates, including child, caregiver, and micro and macro digital-media environment-related factors. 
• Inclusions of interventions like an increase in physical activity, a decline in the body mass index, enhancing sleep and dietary behaviors, etc. 
• These interventions had effectiveness ranging from 0.3 minutes to -47.16 minutes. 

This study indicates that clinicians should obtain a history of screen time in children and advise limiting screen exposure based on the child’s age. Due to limited data, it is necessary to generate evidence on the burden and effectiveness of interventions among children in Indian settings.

 Kaur N, Gupta M, Malhi P, Grover S. Screen Time in Under-five Children. Indian Pediatr 2019;56: 773-788