Skip to main content

Context of Screen Use in Children Should Be Considered in Recommendations

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Aug 8, 2024.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2024 -- Contexts of screen use beyond screen time limits should be considered in making recommendations for young children, according to a review published online Aug. 5 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Sumudu Mallawaarachchi, Ph.D., from the School of Education at the University of Wollongong in Australia, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify studies that examined associations between a contextual factor of screen use among children aged 0 to 5.99 years and cognitive or psychosocial development.

Based on 100 included studies (176,742 participants), the researchers found that program viewing and background television were negatively associated with cognitive outcomes. Program viewing, age-inappropriate content, and caregiver screen use during routines were negatively associated with psychosocial outcomes. However, co-use with caregivers was positively associated with cognitive outcomes.

"Findings show small to moderate effect sizes that highlight the need to consider screen use contexts when making recommendations for families, clinicians, and educators beyond screen time limits, including encouraging intentional and productive screen use, age-appropriate content, and co-use with caregivers," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Health Care Expenditure Expected to Top GDP Growth 2024 to 2033

THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- The annual growth in national health spending is expected to be faster than average gross domestic product (GDP) growth during 2024 to 2033, according to...

Considerable Variation Seen in Commercial Pricing for Surgery Services

THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- Commercial pricing varies considerably for general surgery services, with facility prices exhibiting greater variability, according to a research letter...

Greater Neighborhood Disadvantage Tied to Inflammatory, Alzheimer Disease Biomarkers

THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- Greater neighborhood disadvantage is associated with increased inflammatory and Alzheimer disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in older...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.