Correlation between screen-watching time and emotional problems as well as combination effect of outdoor time among preschool children / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To evaluate the positive correlation between excessive screen-watching time, combined effect of screen-watching and outdoor time and the emotional problems in preschool children.@*Methods@#A total of 27 200 preschool children aged 3-6 years in 109 kindergartens in 11 cities in Jiangsu, Hubei, Anhui participated in the study. Information on both screen-watching and outdoor time and social-demographic characteristics was collected through the Questionnaire on the healthy Development of Preschool Children. Emotional problems of these children were accessed by using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Correlation intensity between excessive screen time and emotional problems (suspicious or abnormal) in preschool children, and the combined effects of screen-watching and outdoor time were analyzed by binary logistic regression model.@*Results@#The overall detected rate of emotional symptoms in preschool children was 17.9% (4 868/27 200). Rates showed in preschool children would include with screen-watching time>1 h/d as 62.4% (16 983/27 200) and with outdoor time<2 h/d as 65.7% (17 873/27 200). After adjusting for confounding factors as gender, age, place of residence, family economic status, BMI, parents’ age and education level, data showed that the screen-watching time was positive correlated with emotional symptoms (OR=1.15, 95%CI 1.08-1.24) while the outdoor time was positive correlated with emotional symptoms (OR=1.08, 95%CI 1.01-1.16). Strong correlation between the combination of screen-watching and outdoor time and the existing emotional problems among preschool children was seen.@*Conclusions@#Excessive screen-watching time was prevalent among preschool children. Screen-watching time was positively associated with the existing emotional problems while the combined effect of screen-watching time and outdoor time was stronger.