Screen Media Dependency and Its Associated Factors Among Preschool Children in Kuala Lumpur

@#Introduction: Excessive screen time among young children is associated with screen dependency. At this moment, there is a lack of data on screen dependency among young children in Malaysia. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of screen dependency and its associated factors among preschool children in Kuala Lumpur. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at registered preschools in Kuala Lumpur. 300 parents of preschool children aged 4 to 6 years old who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited via simple random sampling. The Screen Dependency Scale (SDS) were used to assess their dependency to screen media. Univariate and multivariate statistics were analysed using IBM SPSS version 27. Results: The prevalence of screen dependency among preschool children in Kuala Lumpur was 65.7%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that using the screen to resolve children’s quarrels (aOR 2.855, 95% CI 1.187 - 6.868), children who use smartphones (aOR 2.735, 95% CI: 1.244 - 6.013), children’s screen time exceeds 2 hours over the weekend (aOR 2.261, 95% CI: 1.058 - 4.830) and having a television in the bedroom (aOR 5.562, 95% CI: 1.591 - 19.442) were predictors for screen dependency. While active co-use mediation (aOR 0.505, 95% CI: 0.302 - 0.845) were protective. Conclusion: The prevalence of screen dependency was high among preschool children in Kuala Lumpur. Active screening at health care clinics or in schools is essential to identify early children with risk factors for screen dependency.

Isolated Gastrointestinal Symptoms as Initial Presentation in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Its Differential Diagnosis

@#Initial clinical presentation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is varied as it affects various organs in the body. While the typical presentation of SLE is mucocutaneous, musculoskeletal and haematological manifestation, gastrointestinal (GI) manifestation is a rare initial presentation of SLE. We discuss the case of a 13-year-old girl who was diagnosed with SLE after she presented with isolated gastrointestinal symptoms. She presented with vomiting, diarrhoea, mild colicky abdominal pain and bilateral ankle oedema; and was treated as acute gastroenteritis. She returned after one week with worsening symptoms. Her full blood count showed bicytopenia; urinalysis had proteinuria and haematuria, and renal profile revealed acute on chronic kidney injury which triggered suspicions of a more serious disease rather than simple viral gastroenteritis. Further investigations of positive anti-nuclear antibody, low complements and positive Coombs’s test supported the diagnosis of SLE. The diagnosis of SLE was confirmed when her renal biopsy reported crescentic lupus nephritis ISN/RPS Class IV. Additional investigation to investigate the cause of her gastrointestinal symptoms included an ultrasound abdomen which showed minimal ascites and bilateral renal parenchymal disease. She was planned for colonoscopy but due to the unavailability of paediatric endoscopy, colonoscopy was postponed. However, her symptoms markedly improved with intravenous Cyclophosphamide which supported the diagnosis of GI SLE. This case report is to highlight that a patient with symptoms of simple viral gastroenteritis might have a more serious underlying disease. Even though rare, SLE can present with gastroenteritis symptoms and is one of the differential diagnoses that should be considered.