Screen Time Parenting Practices and Associations with Preschool Children’s TV Viewing and Weight-Related Outcomes

Cody D. Neshteruk, Gina L. Tripicchio, Stephanie Lobaugh, Amber E. Vaughn, Courtney T. Luecking, Stephanie Mazzucca and Dianne S. Ward
Additional contact information
Cody D. Neshteruk: Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, 200 Morris Street, Durham, NC 27701, USA
Gina L. Tripicchio: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
Stephanie Lobaugh: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
Amber E. Vaughn: Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Courtney T. Luecking: Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
Stephanie Mazzucca: Prevention Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
Dianne S. Ward: Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-9

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine associations between screen time (ST) parenting practices and 2–5-year-old children’s TV viewing and weight status. Data were collected from 252 parent–child dyads enrolled in a randomized parent-focused childhood obesity prevention trial from 2009–2012. ST parenting practices were assessed at baseline using a validated parent-reported survey. Parent-reported child TV viewing and objectively measured anthropometrics were assessed at baseline, post-intervention (35 weeks), and follow-up (59 weeks). Marginal effect models were developed to test the association between baseline ST parenting practices and children’s TV viewing, BMI z-score, and waist circumference across all time points. Limiting/monitoring ST was associated with decreased weekly TV viewing (? = ?1.79, 95% CI: ?2.61; ?0.95), while exposure to TV was associated with more weekly TV viewing over 59 weeks (? = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.71; 1.75). Greater parent use of ST as a reward was associated with increased child BMI z-score (? = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03; 0.27), while limiting/monitoring ST was associated with decreased BMI z-score (? = ?0.16, 95% CI: ?0.30; ?0.01) and smaller waist circumference (? = ?0.55, 95% CI: ?1.04; ?0.06) over the study period. These findings suggest that modifying parent ST practices may be an important strategy to reduce ST and promote healthy weight in young children.

Keywords: screen time; screen media; parenting practices; obesity; preschool children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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