Leppänen Marja H, Sääksjärvi Katri, Vepsäläinen Henna, Ray Carola, Hiltunen Pauliina, Koivusilta Leena, Erkkola Maijaliisa, Sajaniemi Nina, Roos Eva
Folkhälsan Research Center, Topeliuksenkatu 20, 00250, Helsinki, Finland.
Faculty of Medicine, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, PO BOX 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
Eur J Pediatr. 2020 Nov;179(11):1805-1812. doi: 10.1007/s00431-020-03686-5. Epub 2020 May 27.
Screen time is increasing rapidly in young children. The aim of this study was to examine associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in Finnish preschool children and the moderating role of socioeconomic status. Cross-sectional DAGIS data were utilized. Long-term stress was assessed using hair cortisol concentration, indicating values of the past 2 months. Temperament was reported by the parents using the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (the Very Short Form), and three broad temperament dimensions were constructed: surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Screen time was reported by the parents over 7 days. The highest education level in the household was used as an indicator of socioeconomic status. In total, 779 children (mean age, 4.7 ± 0.9 years, 52% boys) were included in the study. Of the temperament dimensions, a higher effortful control was associated with less screen time (B = - 6.70, p = 0.002). There was no evidence for an association between hair cortisol concentration and screen time nor a moderating role of socioeconomic status in the associations (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Our findings indicate that preschool children with a higher score in effortful control had less screen time. Because effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children. What is Known: • Screen time has increased rapidly during the last decades, and higher screen time has been linked with numerous adverse health consequences in children. • There are no previous studies investigating associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in young children. What is New: • Of the temperament dimensions, effortful control was associated with higher screen time in preschool children, but there was no association found between long-term stress and screen time. • Since effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children.
幼儿使用电子设备的时长正在迅速增加。本研究旨在探讨芬兰学龄前儿童长期压力和气质与电子设备使用时长之间的关联，以及社会经济地位的调节作用。我们使用了横断面的DAGIS数据。长期压力通过头发皮质醇浓度进行评估，该指标反映过去两个月的水平。气质由父母使用《儿童行为问卷》（简版）进行报告，并构建了三个宽泛的气质维度：外向性、消极情感性和努力控制。父母报告孩子7天内的电子设备使用时长。家庭中最高教育水平被用作社会经济地位的指标。本研究共纳入779名儿童（平均年龄4.7±0.9岁，52%为男孩）。在气质维度中，较高的努力控制与较少的电子设备使用时长相关（B = -6.70，p = 0.002）。没有证据表明头发皮质醇浓度与电子设备使用时长之间存在关联，也没有发现社会经济地位在这些关联中起到调节作用（p > 0.05）。结论：我们的研究结果表明，努力控制得分较高的学龄前儿童电子设备使用时长较少。由于努力控制反映了一般的自我调节能力，提升这些技能可能有助于减少幼儿的电子设备使用时长。已知信息：• 在过去几十年中，电子设备使用时长迅速增加，且较长的使用时长与儿童众多不良健康后果相关。• 此前尚无研究调查幼儿长期压力和气质与电子设备使用时长之间的关联。新发现：• 在气质维度中，努力控制与学龄前儿童较高的电子设备使用时长相关，但未发现长期压力与电子设备使用时长之间存在关联。• 由于努力控制反映了一般的自我调节能力，提升这些技能可能有助于减少幼儿的电子设备使用时长。
