Fitzpatrick Caroline, Florit Elena, Lemieux Annie, Garon-Carrier Gabrielle, Mason Lucia
Department of Preschool and Elementary School Education (C Fitzpatrick, A Lemieux), Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada; Department of Childhood Education (C Fitzpatrick), University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Department of Human Sciences (E Florit), University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Acad Pediatr. 2025 Mar;25(2):102603. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2024.102603. Epub 2024 Nov 5.
To examine associations between preschooler screen time trajectories and executive functions and effortful control at age 5.
Prospective, community-based convenience sample of 315 parents of preschoolers (54% male), studied at the ages of 3.5 (2020), 4.5 (2021), and 5.5 (2022). Parent-reported screen use at the ages of 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 was used to estimate preschooler screen use trajectories. Using latent growth modeling, we identified low (mean=.9h/d, 23%), medium (mean=3.0h/d, 56%), and high (mean=6.38h/d, 21%) screen time groups. Children completed assessments of inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility at age 5.5. Both tasks are from the National Institute of Health Toolbox. Parents reported child effortful control at the age of 3.5 and 5.5 using the Children's Behavior Questionnaire, educational attainment, and parenting stress.
Children in the average (b=-5.24) and high (b=.9.30) screen time trajectories scored significantly lower on inhibitory control than those in the low screen time group. Children in the average and high screen time groups also scored higher than children in the low screen time group on cognitive flexibility (b=-4.50) and (b=-10.12), respectively. Finally, children in the average and high screen time groups scored lower than children in the low screen time groups on effortful control (b=-.41) and (b=-.61), respectively.
The present study shows that stability in high levels of screen use is common among preschoolers and may forecast higher risk of cognitive difficulty and lower levels of cognitive control by the time of school entry.
High levels of preschooler screen use were associated with lower scores on assessments of inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and effortful control.
研究学龄前儿童屏幕使用时间轨迹与5岁时执行功能和努力控制之间的关联。
对315名学龄前儿童的家长进行基于社区的前瞻性便利抽样研究（男性占54%），研究时间分别为3.5岁（2020年）、4.5岁（2021年）和5.5岁（2022年）。采用家长报告的3.5岁、4.5岁和5.5岁时的屏幕使用情况来估计学龄前儿童的屏幕使用轨迹。通过潜在增长模型，我们确定了低屏幕使用时间组（平均每天0.9小时，占23%）、中等屏幕使用时间组（平均每天3.0小时，占56%）和高屏幕使用时间组（平均每天6.38小时，占21%）。儿童在5.5岁时完成了抑制控制和认知灵活性评估。这两项任务均来自美国国立卫生研究院工具箱。家长使用儿童行为问卷、教育程度和育儿压力报告了孩子在3.5岁和5.5岁时的努力控制情况。
处于中等（b=-5.24）和高（b=-9.30）屏幕使用时间轨迹的儿童在抑制控制方面的得分显著低于低屏幕使用时间组的儿童。中等和高屏幕使用时间组的儿童在认知灵活性方面的得分也分别高于低屏幕使用时间组的儿童（b=-4.50）和（b=-10.12）。最后，中等和高屏幕使用时间组的儿童在努力控制方面的得分分别低于低屏幕使用时间组的儿童（b=-0.41）和（b=-0.61）。
本研究表明，学龄前儿童中高水平屏幕使用的稳定性很常见，并且可能预示着入学时认知困难风险更高以及认知控制水平更低。
学龄前儿童高水平的屏幕使用与抑制控制、认知灵活性和努力控制评估得分较低有关。
