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Shalani B, Azadfallah P, Farahani H, Brand S. Why Do Iranian Preschool-Aged Children Spend too Much Time in Front of Screens? A Preliminary Qualitative Study. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1193. [PMID: 37508690 PMCID: PMC10378130 DOI: 10.3390/children10071193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
There is evidence that Iranian preschool children are increasingly spending their time in front of screens (screen time: ST; time spent with any screen such as TVs, computers, tablets, smartphones, game consoles, or video games), but few studies have explored the possible causes of such an increase. Given this, the present study aimed to qualitatively explore determinants of excessive ST in Iranian children. To this end, parents of preschool children were interviewed, and their answers were qualitatively clustered to identify additional important factors. Key informant interviews were conducted with parents of preschool children in Tehran (Iran). A semi-structured interview was developed to assess child and family life, daily routine, family rules, family interactions, and home climate as possible contributing factors to ST. Parents' audiotaped statements were transcripted verbatim, coded, and clustered into main themes using thematic analysis with the MaxQda® software. A total of 20 parents of children aged 2 to 7 were interviewed, and a total of 6 key themes and 28 subthemes were extracted from their interviews. The results of the analysis identified a broad range of both independent and interrelated factors leading to the development and maintenance of ST behaviors among preschool children. Our findings indicate that the central concept is the family. Considering screen-related behaviors, family life encompasses parental health literacy (e.g., parenting pattern, monitoring standards, thoughtful parenting), family psychological atmosphere (e.g., presence of parents, family norms, parent-parent and parent-child interaction, congruency/incongruency of parents with each other) and the digital structure of the home. The child's and parents' actions and characteristics can influence family interactions. A child's and parent's behavior is also influenced by social/cultural factors. Parents' behaviors and attitudes, family communications, and interactions contribute to healthy ST habits in children. It is not possible to examine the child's behavior without considering the family and the dominant environment, since the behavior of family members as a whole affects each family member. Given this, interventions should make parents aware of their role and responsibilities in reducing children's ST and consider the family system as a whole, and interventions also can benefit from considering the parental perceptions of children's behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bita Shalani
- Department of Psychology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 14117-13116, Iran
| | - Parviz Azadfallah
- Department of Psychology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 14117-13116, Iran
| | | | - Serge Brand
- Center for Affective, Sleep and Stress Disorders, Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Sport Science and Psychosocial Health, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah 67158-47141, Iran
- Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah 67158-47141, Iran
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran 14166-34793, Iran
- Center for Disaster Psychiatry and Disaster Psychology, Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
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Parker K, Brown HL, Salmon J. Are There Common Correlates of Adolescents' Sport Participation and Screen Time? RESEARCH QUARTERLY FOR EXERCISE AND SPORT 2022:1-9. [PMID: 35352992 DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2021.1998305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to identify intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental correlates of leisure-time participation in sports and examine whether they are also associated with screen-time among adolescents. Methods: Adolescents from eight schools in Victoria, Australia were recruited for this study. Participants (n = 400) comprised of an even distribution of boys (51%) and girls (49%) aged 12-16 years. Their engagement in leisure-time activities (including sports and screen-time) and 13 potential correlates were self-reported. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined correlates of sports and screen-time participation categories, accounting for clustering by school and adjusting for significant sociodemographic characteristics. Results: The majority (76%) participated in leisure-time sports and exceeded screen-time recommendations (<2 h/day) on both weekdays (69%) and weekend days (85%). Greater internal motivation for sports was positively associated with sports participation and inversely associated with screen-time on weekend days, respectively. Fewer barriers, positive family and coach support and more neighborhood sporting opportunities were significantly associated with greater sports participation. Neighborhood social norms were inversely associated with sports participation. Preference for sports was associated with less weekday and weekend screen-time. Friend support for sports was inversely associated with weekday screen-time. Access to sports facilities in the local neighborhood was associated with more weekday and weekend screen-time. Conclusion: Internal motivation for sports was associated with both sports participation and less screen-time. Preference for leisure-time sports and friend support for sports were associated with less screen-time. Future research should continue to explore common correlates of multiple leisure-time behaviors to inform the development of effective intervention strategies.
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Hoffmann S, Sander L, Wachtler B, Blume M, Schneider S, Herke M, Pischke CR, Fialho PMM, Schuettig W, Tallarek M, Lampert T, Spallek J. Moderating or mediating effects of family characteristics on socioeconomic inequalities in child health in high-income countries - a scoping review. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:338. [PMID: 35177014 PMCID: PMC8851861 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12603-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND By explaining the development of health inequalities, eco-social theories highlight the importance of social environments that children are embedded in. The most important environment during early childhood is the family, as it profoundly influences children's health through various characteristics. These include family processes, family structure/size, and living conditions, and are closely linked to the socioeconomic position (SEP) of the family. Although it is known that the SEP contributes to health inequalities in early childhood, the effects of family characteristics on health inequalities remain unclear. The objective of this scoping review is to synthesise existing research on the mediating and moderating effects of family characteristics on socioeconomic health inequalities (HI) during early childhood in high-income countries. METHODS This review followed the methodology of "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews". To identify German and English scientific peer-reviewed literature published from January 1st, 2000, to December 19th, 2019, the following search term blocks were linked with the logical operator "AND": (1) family structure/size, processes, living conditions, (2) inequalities, disparities, diversities, (3) income, education, occupation, (4) health and (5) young children. The search covered the electronic databases PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus. RESULTS The search yielded 7,089 records. After title/abstract and full-text screening, only ten peer-reviewed articles were included in the synthesis, which analysed the effects of family characteristics on HI in early childhood. Family processes (i.e., rules /descriptive norms, stress, parental screen time, parent-child conflicts) are identified to have mediating or moderating effects. While families' living conditions (i.e., TVs in children's bedrooms) are suggested as mediating factors, family structure/size (i.e., single parenthood, number of children in the household) appear to moderate health inequalities. CONCLUSION Family characteristics contribute to health inequalities in early childhood. The results provide overall support of models of family stress and family investment. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding the role of family health literacy, regarding a wide range of children's health outcomes (e.g., oral health, inflammation parameters, weight, and height), and the development of health inequalities over the life course starting at birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Hoffmann
- Department of Public Health, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Universitaetsplatz 1, 01968, Senftenberg, Germany.
| | - Lydia Sander
- Department of Public Health, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Universitaetsplatz 1, 01968, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Wachtler
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Miriam Blume
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sven Schneider
- Center for Preventive Medicine and Digital Health Baden-Württemberg (CPD-BW), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Max Herke
- Institute of Medical Sociology, Medical Faculty Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Claudia R Pischke
- Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Paula Mayara Matos Fialho
- Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Wiebke Schuettig
- Chair of Health Economics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marie Tallarek
- Department of Public Health, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Universitaetsplatz 1, 01968, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Lampert
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jacob Spallek
- Department of Public Health, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Universitaetsplatz 1, 01968, Senftenberg, Germany
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Influence of socioeconomic variables on physical activity and screen time of children and adolescents during the COVID‑19 lockdown in Germany: the MoMo study. GERMAN JOURNAL OF EXERCISE AND SPORT RESEARCH 2021. [PMCID: PMC8641541 DOI: 10.1007/s12662-021-00783-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The COVID‑19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic created a multitude of natural experiments about the change of human behavior in a widely unfamiliar situation. Besides physical and mental health, physical activity (PA) and people’s movement behaviors were of particular interest to researchers all over the world. In a recent study, we found that among youth in Germany, sports activity declined, whereas recreational screen time and habitual activity increased during the first COVID‑19 lockdown. In the present study, we analyze the influence of the socioeconomic status and the housing situation on the changes in PA behavior and recreational screen-time before and during the first COVID‑19 lockdown among children and adolescents living in Germany. We found an alignment of PA behavior among youth from families with different socioeconomic backgrounds during the first lockdown and identified the housing situation to be a meaningful predictor of the increase in habitual activity. We conclude that restriction policies, communities, and in the last instance parents need to enable access to nonorganized PA to all children and adolescents every day and especially during potential future lockdowns.
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Hayba N, Shi Y, Allman-Farinelli M. Enabling Better Physical Activity and Screen Time Behaviours for Adolescents from Middle Eastern Backgrounds: Semi-Structured Interviews with Parents. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182312787. [PMID: 34886513 PMCID: PMC8657648 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The unrelenting obesity pandemic in Middle Eastern (ME) adolescents living in Australia warrants culturally responsive and locally engineered interventions. Given the influence of parents on the lifestyle behaviours of adolescents, this qualitative study aimed to capture the opinions of ME parents on the barriers and enablers to sufficient physical activity and limiting screen time behaviours in adolescents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 ME parents (female) aged 35–59 years old, most of whom resided in lower socioeconomic areas (n = 19). A reflexive thematic analysis using the Theoretical Domains Framework and the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour model was performed for coding. Parents voiced confidence in their knowledge of the importance of physical activity and limiting screen time but were less optimistic in their ability to enable change in behaviours, especially for older adolescents without outside support. Despite adolescents having the necessary skills to engage in a wide array of sports, the parents admitted deep fears regarding the safety of the social environment and restricted their children’s independent mobility. Gender differences were noted, with parents reporting older girls expressing disinterest in sports and having limited physical opportunities to participate in sports at school. It may be that a community-based participatory framework is needed to improve physical activity opportunities and to address specific physical, social, and cultural barriers.
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Maternal Education Level and Excessive Recreational Screen Time in Children: A Mediation Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17238930. [PMID: 33271768 PMCID: PMC7730269 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17238930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing recognition of the adverse health consequences of excessive recreational screen time (RST) in children and adolescents. Early interventions that aim to reduce RST are crucial, but there are some controversies about which individual and parental variables affect RST in children. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of parental education level with RST in children and early adolescents and to identify mediators of these relationships. This cross-sectional study examined a sample of children (2–14 year-old) who attended routine childcare visits in primary health care centers in Spain (n = 402; 53.7% males; mean age: 7 ± 4 year-old). A self-reported questionnaire was given to the parents to assess sociodemographic data, parental education, the home media environment, and RST in children. Separate analysis was performed for two age groups (2–6 year-old and 6–14 year-old). Path analysis, an application of structural equation modeling, was used to analyze the data. Fitty three percent of the children had excessive RST (≥2 h/day). The maternal education level, eating lunch/dinner in front of a TV, presence of a background TV, and the amount of parental TV viewing had significant associations with excessive RST in both age groups. For the younger group, the maternal education level had direct and indirect effects on RST (total effect: β = −0.29, p < 0.01). For the older group, maternal education level only had a significant indirect effect on RST, and this was mediated by the presence of a background TV and the time of parental TV viewing (total indirect effect: β = −0.11, p < 0.01). A higher maternal education level appears to be associated with certain environmental factors or habits that prevent excessive RST.
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