| Title: |
Prospective Associations Between Early Childhood Screen Time Trajectories During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity by Age 5 |
| Authors: |
Surprenant, Rachel; Leroux-Maurais, Daphnée; Bezeau, David; Berrigan, Félix; Leriche, Jérôme; Fitzpatrick, Caroline |
| Contributors: |
Research Nova Scotia; Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada under the Canada Graduate Scholarships Doctoral |
| Source: |
American Journal of Health Promotion ; volume 40, issue 3, page 321-329 ; ISSN 0890-1171 2168-6602 |
| Publisher Information: |
SAGE Publications |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Description: |
Purpose To examine associations between preschooler screen time trajectories and physical activity outcomes at age 5.5. Design A longitudinal cohort study of Canadian parents with preschoolers. Setting Data were collected in Nova Scotia, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spring/Summer 2020 and 2021, and Summer/Fall 2022. Sample A community-based convenience sample of 315 parents of preschool-aged children (54% boys) was followed longitudinally when children were 3.5 (2020), 4.5 (2021), and 5.5 years old (2022). Methods Parent-reported screen time at 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 years was used to estimate preschooler screen time trajectories. Using growth mixture modeling (GMM), three groups were identified: low (mean = 0.89 h/day, 23%), average (mean = 2.96 h/day, 56%), and high (mean = 6.42 h/day, 21%) screen time trajectory groups. At age 5.5, physical activity was directly assessed using accelerometers to capture light, moderate, and vigorous-intensity physical activity. Parents also reported child sex, family configuration, and educational attainment. Results Children in the high screen time trajectory group engaged in significantly less light-intensity physical activity ( b = −29.98, P < .05) compared to children in the average screen time trajectory. No significant differences were observed between the low and average screen time trajectory groups for light-intensity physical activity. Additionally, no significant differences in moderate or vigorous-intensity physical activity were observed between the screen time trajectory groups. Conclusions Higher screen time in preschoolers is associated with reduced engagement in light-intensity physical activity. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring screen time to ensure that children have opportunities to engage in light-intensity physical activities such as active and outdoor play. Limiting early childhood screen time may support healthier physical activity patterns and promote early childhood development. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| DOI: |
10.1177/08901171251379431 |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171251379431; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/08901171251379431; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/08901171251379431 |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ ; https://journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.26271BE5 |
| Database: |
BASE |