Caroline Fitzpatrick, Pedro Mario Pan, Annie Lemieux, Elizabeth Harvey, Fabricio de Andrade Rocha, Gabrielle Garon-Carrier
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Importance: Tablet use continues to increase in preschool-aged children. The use of mobile devices has been linked to child emotional dysregulation. However, few studies have been able to show a clear direction of association between child tablet use and the development of self-regulation skills. In addition, few studies have modeled within-person associations over time.
Objective: To estimate how child tablet use contributes to expressions of anger and frustration across the ages of 3.5 to 5.5 years at the within-person level. The study team also examined the extent to which associations are bidirectional to clarify the direction of the correlations.
Design, setting, and participants: This prospective, community-based convenience sample of 315 parents of preschool-aged children from Nova Scotia, Canada, was studied repeatedly at the ages of 3.5 (2020), 4.5 (2021), and 5.5 years (2022) during the COVID-19 pandemic. All analyses were conducted between October 5, 2023, and December 15, 2023.
Exposure: Parent-reported tablet use at the ages of 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 years.
Main outcome and measures: Parents reported child expressions of anger/frustration at the ages of 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 years using the Children's Behavior Questionnaire.
Results: The sample was equally distributed across child sex (171 were identified by parents as being born boys [54%] and 144 as girls [46%]). Most reported being Canadian (287 [91.0%]) and married (258 [82.0%]). A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model revealed that a 1-SD increase in tablet use at 3.5 years (corresponding to 1.22 hours per day) was associated with a 22% SD scale increase in anger/frustration at age 4.5 years (standardized coefficient = 0.22; 95% CI, 0.01-0.44). A 1 SD scale increase in anger and frustration at 4.5 years was associated with a 22% SD (corresponding to 0.28 hours per day) increase in tablet use at 5.5 years (standardized coefficient = 0.22; 95% CI, 0.01-0.43).
Conclusion and relevance: In this study, child tablet use at age 3.5 years was associated with more expressions of anger and frustration by the age of 4.5 years. Child proneness to anger/frustration at age 4.5 years was then associated with more use of tablets by age 5.5 years. These results suggest that early-childhood tablet use may contribute to a cycle that is deleterious for emotional regulation.
期刊介绍:
JAMA Pediatrics, the oldest continuously published pediatric journal in the US since 1911, is an international peer-reviewed publication and a part of the JAMA Network. Published weekly online and in 12 issues annually, it garners over 8.4 million article views and downloads yearly. All research articles become freely accessible online after 12 months without any author fees, and through the WHO's HINARI program, the online version is accessible to institutions in developing countries.
With a focus on advancing the health of infants, children, and adolescents, JAMA Pediatrics serves as a platform for discussing crucial issues and policies in child and adolescent health care. Leveraging the latest technology, it ensures timely access to information for its readers worldwide.