Screen Time, Outdoor Play, and Sleep Routines in Early Childhood: Longitudinal Associations with Parenting Stress during Toddler to Preschool Years.

INTRODUCTION

Our study examined the longitudinal relationship between parenting stress and screen time, outdoor play, and sleep routines in toddler to preschool-aged children.

METHOD

We conducted a descriptive quantitative analysis of a prospective observational cohort study of 300 families with an 18-month-old toddler who were followed for 2 years. Parenting stress was measured using a subscale of the Parenting Stress Index-4 Short Form at child age 18 months. Screen time, outdoor play, and sleep routines were parent-reported at child age 36 months. Multivariable regression estimated associations between parenting stress and screen time behaviors, outdoor play, and sleep routines.

RESULTS

Data from 280 children (42.1% female) showed that 39.6% did not have rules around screen time and 82% of families reported frequently having the television on without anyone watching. In adjusted models, a 1-standard deviation increase in parenting stress at 18 months was associated with increased odds of having a television on without anyone watching (OR 1.26, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.57) and decreased odds of not having rules about the amount of screen time at 36 months (OR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.96).

DISCUSSION

Increased parenting stress in early childhood was associated with some suboptimal screen time behaviors and sleep routines when children were preschool-aged.