Time to Play in Javanese Preschool Children—An Examination of Screen Time and Playtime before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Soni Nopembri (), Rizki Mulyawan, Puji Yanti Fauziah, Erma Kusumawardani, Indri Hapsari Susilowati, Lukman Fauzi, Widya Hary Cahyati, Tandiyo Rahayu, Terence Buan Kiong Chua and Michael Yong Hwa Chia ()
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Soni Nopembri: Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Sleman 55281, Indonesia
Rizki Mulyawan: Department of Sports Science, Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Sleman 55281, Indonesia
Puji Yanti Fauziah: Nonformal Education Department, Faculty of Education Science, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Sleman 55281, Indonesia
Erma Kusumawardani: Nonformal Education Department, Faculty of Education Science, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Sleman 55281, Indonesia
Indri Hapsari Susilowati: Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia
Lukman Fauzi: Public Health Department, Faculty of Sports Science, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang 50229, Indonesia
Widya Hary Cahyati: Public Health Department, Faculty of Sports Science, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang 50229, Indonesia
Tandiyo Rahayu: Physical Education Department, Faculty of Sports Science, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang 50229, Indonesia
Terence Buan Kiong Chua: Physical Education and Sports Science Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
Michael Yong Hwa Chia: Physical Education and Sports Science Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: This comparative–descriptive multi-national research examined the screen time and playtime of preschool children aged 1–6 years before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents reported on the play and screen habits of preschool-aged children on the weekday and weekends using a questionnaire on the lifestyle habits of their children. Results indicated a significant difference in screen time and playtime on the weekday and weekend before the pandemic (screen time: 1.91 ± 2.40 vs. 2.16 ± 2.60 h; playtime: 3.55 ± 2.49 vs. 4.11 ± 2.58 h, both p < 0.05), but during the COVID-19 pandemic, only the weekday–weekend difference in screen time was significantly different (screen time: 2.87 ± 3.15 vs. 3.26 ± 3.18 h, p < 0.05; playtime: 3.25 ± 3.41 vs. 3.48 ± 2.41, p > 0.05). Before- and during-COVID-19 comparisons showed that the average daily screen time increased by 150% from 2.04 h to 3.06 h ( p < 0.05), while the average play time decreased by 12.3% (3.83 to 3.36 h, p < 0.05). Based upon international guidelines for movement behaviours of young children, special attention and actions are needed to manage the excessive daily screen time and preserve the average daily playtime of Javanese preschool children. These results present useful benchmarking data for parents, teachers, and health authorities to initiate ameliorative interventions to better balance children’s screen time and playtime as Indonesia emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic to a COVID-19 endemic.

Keywords: screen time; playtime; COVID-19; preschoolers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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