Association between screen time and hyperactive behaviors in children under 3 years in China

Jian-Bo Wu; Xiao-Na Yin; Shuang-Yan Qiu; Guo-Ming Wen; Wei-Kang Yang; Jing-Yu Zhang; Ya-Fen Zhao; Xin Wang; Xiao-Bing Hong; DaLi Lu; Jin Jing

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.977879

Association between screen time and hyperactive behaviors in children under 3 years in China

Front Psychiatry. 2022 Nov 9:13:977879. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.977879. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
² Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Science, Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
³ School of Management, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
⁴ Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

Background: Screen time during early life has increased dramatically among Chinese children. Excessive screen time has raised growing concerns about the neuropsychological development of children. The effects of screen exposure on early life and the boundary between screen time and hyperactive behaviors are well worth investigating. We examined associations between screen time and hyperactive behaviors in children under the age of 3 years using data from the Longhua Children Cohort Study (LCCS).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 42,841 3-year-old children from Longhua District, Shenzhen. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, children's annual screen time since birth, and hyperactive behaviors (measured by the Conners Parental Symptom Questionnaire) was collected through self-administered structured questionnaires completed by the primary caregiver. A series of logistic regression models assessed the association between screen time and hyperactive behaviors.

Results: The average daily screen time of children under the age of 3 years was 55.83 ± 58.54 min, and screen time increased with age. Binomial logistic regression analysis found that the earlier the screen exposure, the greater the risk of hyperactive behaviors. Using binary logistic regression model, after controlling for confounding factors, the study found that more screen time was more associated with hyperactive behaviors. For children aged 0-3 years with daily screen time exceeding 90, 120, 150, and 180 min, the risk values for hyperactive behaviors were 1.98 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05, 3.78), 2.71 (95%CI:1.38, 5.30), 3.17 (95% CI: 1.50, 6.65), and 4.62 (95% CI: 2.45, 8.71)], respectively.

Conclusion: Early screen exposure may be associated with hyperactive behaviors in children under the age of 3 years. More than 90 min of screen time per day in children under 3 years was associated with hyperactive behaviors. The findings support the importance of screen time interventions for children under 3 years.

Keywords: boundary; developmental sensitivity; early life; hyperactive behaviors; screen time.

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81872639), the Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province (2019B030335001), the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee (JCYJ20210324122609025), and the Longhua District Medical And Health Institutions Regional Scientific Research Project (2022086).