The Impact of Modifiable Parenting Factors on the Screen Use of Children Five Years or Younger: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Most children under age 5 exceed recommended screen time guidelines, with lifelong implications for children’s psychosocial, cognitive, socio-emotional, and physiological outcomes. Socio-ecological models point towards the important contribution of parental knowledge, modelling, practices, self-efficacy and style on child screen use. This study aimed to determine the extent to which these parenting factors influence child screen use, as well as the moderating role of screen media type (i.e. fixed vs. portable) on the relationship between parenting factors and child screen use. A systematic literature search for peer-reviewed studies published in English from 1982 to 2023 was conducted and yielded 87 eligible studies. Greater parental modelling, mealtime viewing, and the use of screens as a babysitting, mood regulation or reinforcement tool, were associated with higher child screen use. Contrastingly, higher levels of parental self-efficacy, and the implementation of screen use rules were associated with lower child screen use. Interventions targeting these parenting factors pose as a promising avenue to reduce child screen use. An authoritative parenting style was associated with lower child screen use, while authoritarian and permissive styles were associated with higher child screen use. The evidence for parental knowledge and co-viewing and, a neglectful parenting style was inconsistent or inconclusive. Finally, no observable trends or patterns in the data regarding the role of screen media type emerged. Future research should look to address issues in the measurement of child screen use to ensure comprehensive and objective assessments.