High-dose electronic media use in five-year-olds and its association with their psychosocial symptoms: A cohort study

Janette Niiranen; Olli Kiviruusu; Riitta Vornanen; Outi Saarenpää-Heikkilä; E. Juulia Paavonen

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040848

High-dose electronic media use in five-year-olds and its association with their psychosocial symptoms: A cohort study

Janette Niiranen
, Olli Kiviruusu
, Riitta Vornanen
, Outi Saarenpää-Heikkilä
, E. Juulia Paavonen^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

35 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Objectives This study investigated the frequency of electronic media (e-media) usage by preschool children and the risks of high-dose e-media use on young children's psychosocial well-being. Design Longitudinal associations between e-media use at 18 months and psychosocial symptoms at 5 years of age were studied, as well as cross-sectional associations between e-media use and psychosocial symptoms at 5 years. Setting Between 2011 and 2017 in Finland. Participants Children aged 5 years (n=699). Primary and secondary outcome measures Children's psychosocial symptoms were determined at the age of 5 years using the parent-reported questionnaires Five-to-Fifteen (FTF) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results Based on our results, 95% of the preschool children exceeded the daily recommended use of e-media set by health professionals. Our results indicate that increased screen time at 5 years of age is associated with a risk of multiple psychosocial symptoms (OR 1.53-2.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.34, p<0.05), while increased levels of e-media use at 18 months was only associated with FTF peer problems (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.41, p=0.03). Moreover, high-dose use of electronic games at the age of 5 years seems to be associated with fewer risks for psychosocial well-being than programme viewing, as it was only associated with SDQ hyperactivity (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.51, p=0.02). Conclusion Increased screen time has multiple risks for children's psychosocial well-being. These risk factors seem to be significant in the long term, and are related to problems in children's socio-emotional development later on. Health professionals and paediatricians have an important role as communicators of the current research results on the safe usage time of e-media for families, and enhancing parents' skills as regulators of children's safe e-media use. More research is needed on the family conditions of high-dose e-media users.

Original language	English
Article number	e040848
Journal	BMJ Open
Volume	11
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040848
Publication status	Published - 2021
Publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

Funding This work was supported by The Academy of Finland (#308588, #277557), the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, the Foundation for Pediatric Research, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Competitive Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility area of Tampere University Hospital and Doctors' Association in Tampere.

Keywords

child & adolescent psychiatry
community child health
epidemiology

Publication forum classification

Publication forum level 1

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Medicine

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10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040848Licence: CC BY-NC

e040848.fullFinal published version, 443 KBLicence: CC BY-NC

http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202105215262Licence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

@article{d2f8481bbd5a41a9b39e6b30d2b49220,

title = "High-dose electronic media use in five-year-olds and its association with their psychosocial symptoms: A cohort study",

abstract = "Objectives This study investigated the frequency of electronic media (e-media) usage by preschool children and the risks of high-dose e-media use on young children's psychosocial well-being. Design Longitudinal associations between e-media use at 18 months and psychosocial symptoms at 5 years of age were studied, as well as cross-sectional associations between e-media use and psychosocial symptoms at 5 years. Setting Between 2011 and 2017 in Finland. Participants Children aged 5 years (n=699). Primary and secondary outcome measures Children's psychosocial symptoms were determined at the age of 5 years using the parent-reported questionnaires Five-to-Fifteen (FTF) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results Based on our results, 95\% of the preschool children exceeded the daily recommended use of e-media set by health professionals. Our results indicate that increased screen time at 5 years of age is associated with a risk of multiple psychosocial symptoms (OR 1.53-2.18, 95\% CI 1.05 to 3.34, p<0.05), while increased levels of e-media use at 18 months was only associated with FTF peer problems (OR 1.59, 95\% CI 1.04 to 2.41, p=0.03). Moreover, high-dose use of electronic games at the age of 5 years seems to be associated with fewer risks for psychosocial well-being than programme viewing, as it was only associated with SDQ hyperactivity (OR 1.65, 95\% CI 1.08 to 2.51, p=0.02). Conclusion Increased screen time has multiple risks for children's psychosocial well-being. These risk factors seem to be significant in the long term, and are related to problems in children's socio-emotional development later on. Health professionals and paediatricians have an important role as communicators of the current research results on the safe usage time of e-media for families, and enhancing parents' skills as regulators of children's safe e-media use. More research is needed on the family conditions of high-dose e-media users.",

keywords = "child \& adolescent psychiatry, community child health, epidemiology",

author = "Janette Niiranen and Olli Kiviruusu and Riitta Vornanen and Outi Saarenp{\"a}{\"a}-Heikkil{\"a} and \{Juulia Paavonen\}, E.",

note = "Funding Information: Funding This work was supported by The Academy of Finland (\#308588, \#277557), the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, the Yrj{\"o} Jahnsson Foundation, the Foundation for Pediatric Research, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Competitive Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility area of Tampere University Hospital and Doctors' Association in Tampere. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040848",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

journal = "BMJ Open",

issn = "2044-6055",

publisher = "BMJ Publishing Group",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - High-dose electronic media use in five-year-olds and its association with their psychosocial symptoms

T2 - A cohort study

AU - Niiranen, Janette

AU - Kiviruusu, Olli

AU - Vornanen, Riitta

AU - Saarenpää-Heikkilä, Outi

AU - Juulia Paavonen, E.

N1 - Funding Information: Funding This work was supported by The Academy of Finland (#308588, #277557), the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, the Foundation for Pediatric Research, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Competitive Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility area of Tampere University Hospital and Doctors' Association in Tampere. Publisher Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Objectives This study investigated the frequency of electronic media (e-media) usage by preschool children and the risks of high-dose e-media use on young children's psychosocial well-being. Design Longitudinal associations between e-media use at 18 months and psychosocial symptoms at 5 years of age were studied, as well as cross-sectional associations between e-media use and psychosocial symptoms at 5 years. Setting Between 2011 and 2017 in Finland. Participants Children aged 5 years (n=699). Primary and secondary outcome measures Children's psychosocial symptoms were determined at the age of 5 years using the parent-reported questionnaires Five-to-Fifteen (FTF) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results Based on our results, 95% of the preschool children exceeded the daily recommended use of e-media set by health professionals. Our results indicate that increased screen time at 5 years of age is associated with a risk of multiple psychosocial symptoms (OR 1.53-2.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.34, p<0.05), while increased levels of e-media use at 18 months was only associated with FTF peer problems (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.41, p=0.03). Moreover, high-dose use of electronic games at the age of 5 years seems to be associated with fewer risks for psychosocial well-being than programme viewing, as it was only associated with SDQ hyperactivity (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.51, p=0.02). Conclusion Increased screen time has multiple risks for children's psychosocial well-being. These risk factors seem to be significant in the long term, and are related to problems in children's socio-emotional development later on. Health professionals and paediatricians have an important role as communicators of the current research results on the safe usage time of e-media for families, and enhancing parents' skills as regulators of children's safe e-media use. More research is needed on the family conditions of high-dose e-media users.

AB - Objectives This study investigated the frequency of electronic media (e-media) usage by preschool children and the risks of high-dose e-media use on young children's psychosocial well-being. Design Longitudinal associations between e-media use at 18 months and psychosocial symptoms at 5 years of age were studied, as well as cross-sectional associations between e-media use and psychosocial symptoms at 5 years. Setting Between 2011 and 2017 in Finland. Participants Children aged 5 years (n=699). Primary and secondary outcome measures Children's psychosocial symptoms were determined at the age of 5 years using the parent-reported questionnaires Five-to-Fifteen (FTF) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results Based on our results, 95% of the preschool children exceeded the daily recommended use of e-media set by health professionals. Our results indicate that increased screen time at 5 years of age is associated with a risk of multiple psychosocial symptoms (OR 1.53-2.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.34, p<0.05), while increased levels of e-media use at 18 months was only associated with FTF peer problems (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.41, p=0.03). Moreover, high-dose use of electronic games at the age of 5 years seems to be associated with fewer risks for psychosocial well-being than programme viewing, as it was only associated with SDQ hyperactivity (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.51, p=0.02). Conclusion Increased screen time has multiple risks for children's psychosocial well-being. These risk factors seem to be significant in the long term, and are related to problems in children's socio-emotional development later on. Health professionals and paediatricians have an important role as communicators of the current research results on the safe usage time of e-media for families, and enhancing parents' skills as regulators of children's safe e-media use. More research is needed on the family conditions of high-dose e-media users.

KW - child & adolescent psychiatry

KW - community child health

KW - epidemiology

U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040848

DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040848

M3 - Article

C2 - 33731383

AN - SCOPUS:85103033065

SN - 2044-6055

VL - 11

JO - BMJ Open

JF - BMJ Open

IS - 3

M1 - e040848

ER -

High-dose electronic media use in five-year-olds and its association with their psychosocial symptoms: A cohort study

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

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ASJC Scopus subject areas

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