Screen Dependency Disorders in children under two years of age: A Parent Report Measure

Abstract

Screen dependency disorder is a growing concern. The rising trend in use of digital devices among young children being less researched, the study was done to find out the prevalence and pattern of total and device-specific screen viewing (SV), in a well baby clinic among children less than two years of age, Data was collected through in-person interviews from mothers of the children. Increasing child age and type of family were found to be significantly associated with higher prevalence of SV. Smart phones had similar usage rates at par with TVs; reiterating the fact that mobile devices have become widely available in the entire population, being second source of SV. Parental knowledge and parental practices were also found to influence the SV and screen-time in children. Modifiable factors like parental knowledge on SV, parental SV practices can help in designing health promotion strategies and recommendations on SV