Turkish Archives of Pediatrics
Original Article

Associations between parenting styles and excessive screen usage in preschool children

1.

Department of Child and Adolescents Health, Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey

2.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Social Pediatrics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

3.

Department of Pediatrics, Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Medicine, Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

4.

Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Sami Ulus Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

5.

Department of Pediatrics, Afyon Health Sciences University Faculty of Medicine Afyon, Turkey

6.

Department of Pediatrics, Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Mersin, Turkey

7.

Department of Pediatrics, Etimesgut Şehit Sait Ertürk Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

8.

Department of Child and Adolescents Psychiatry, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

Turk Arch Pediatr 2021; 56: 261-266
DOI: 10.14744/TurkPediatriArs.2020.43765
Read: 3341 Downloads: 489 Published: 01 May 2021

Objective: Young children and preschoolers are now growing up in settings filled with a variety of technological devices. Despite the recommendation that parents should limit screen time, many preschoolers are exposed to screens at very early ages and for a long time. This study aimed to investigate the associations between parenting styles and the excessive screen time of preschool-aged children.

Material and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included preschool children with low screen exposure (<1 hour; n=176) and excessive screen exposure (>4 hours; n=74). A self-completion-structured survey form and Parent Attitude Scale were filled by the mothers.

Results: More than half (52.0%) of them were male children. Increased number of children, increased household sizes, mothers being unemployed, birth order ≥2, and home-based care were found to be statistically significantly higher in the excessive screen exposure group than in the low screen exposure group. Mothers and fathers in the excessive screen exposure group had lower educational levels compared with their counterparts in the low screen exposure group (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that mothers’ high authoritative (democratic) scores were associated with low screen exposure(adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.1-0.9). High overprotective and permissive parenting subscale scores were related to excessive screen exposure after adjusting potential confounders (AOR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1-6.7; AOR: 4.5, 95% CI: 1.8-11.6).

Conclusion: Excessive screening time may indicate a problematic parent-child relationship. Establishing a positive parent-child relationship can be an effective way of managing screen time in preschool children.

Cite this article as: Çaylan N, Yalçın SS, Erat Nergiz M, et al. Associations between parenting styles and excessive screen usage in preschool children. Turk Arch Pediatr 2021; 56(3): 261-6.

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