Risk of Smartphone or tablet Problematic Use in Preschoolers

The increasing integration of smartphones and tablets into daily life has led to greater screen exposure among preschool-aged children. Since early childhood is a crucial period for cognitive and social development, excessive screen time poses a potential public health concern. This study examined factors influencing screen time in children aged 1–5 years across 31 countries. Using Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis, researchers assessed household composition, parental characteristics, and child-specific factors. The model explained 42% of the variance in children’s screen time, with parental device-giving frequency emerging as the strongest predictor. Older children and those in larger households had higher screen exposure, while maternal supervision was associated with lower screen time. However, factors like parental age, household adult count, biological sex, and temperament were not significant predictors. These findings highlight the critical role of parental behavior and family structure in shaping children's screen habits. To promote balanced screen use, parental interventions should address device-giving frequency and adapt screen time guidelines to modern technological realities.

智能手机与平板电脑日益融入日常生活，使得学龄前儿童的屏幕暴露时长显著增加。由于幼儿期是认知与社会发展的关键阶段，过长的屏幕使用时间已成为一项潜在的公共卫生关切问题。本研究针对31个国家的1至5岁儿童，探究了影响其屏幕使用时长的各类因素。研究人员采用普通最小二乘回归分析（Ordinary Least Squares regression）方法，对家庭构成、父母特征及儿童个体特异性因素展开了评估。该模型可解释儿童屏幕使用时长42%的变异量，其中父母赠予电子设备的频率成为最强的预测因子。年龄较大的儿童以及家庭规模更大的儿童，其屏幕暴露时长更长；而母亲的监管则与更短的屏幕使用时长相关联。不过，父母年龄、家庭成年人数、儿童生理性别以及气质类型等因素并未表现出显著的预测效应。上述研究结果凸显了父母行为与家庭结构在塑造儿童屏幕使用习惯方面的关键作用。为推动儿童合理使用电子屏幕，父母干预措施应聚焦于调整电子设备赠予频率，并结合现代科技发展现状优化屏幕使用时长指导准则。