Profile of screen time and its determinants in under-five children in a rural Indian population

Background: Excess screen viewing can deteriorate the well-being of under-five children. Identifying the modifiable screen determinants can pave the way to develop strategies for optimization. Objectives: The objective of the study was to study the profile of screen time among children between 12 and 59 months of age and to determine the risk factors associated with increased screen time. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was done in rural villages of Tamil Nadu among 418 children aged 12–59 months by universal sampling method during August 2021 to January 2022. Parents of the children were interviewed using a predesigned semi-structured questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of screen viewing among the study population was 96.9% and their average screen time was 106.85 ± 77.95 min/day. The prevalence of excess screen time (nonadherence to the WHO recommendations) was estimated to be 70%. The most common reason for offering screen time to children was feeding/mealtime (45.7%). The risk determinants identified for higher screen time were access to multiple gadgets (P < 0.001), first screen exposure before 1 year of age (P < 0.001), having erratic screen-viewing hours (P = 0.002), snacking during screen time (P < 0.001), screen time before bed (P < 0.001), and those who were overweight (P = 0.027). Maternal screen time and children's screen time had a positive association (r = 0.367, P < 0.001), whereas children's screen time and sleep duration were negatively associated (r = −0.139, P = 0.004). Conclusions: This study reiterates the high prevalence of excess screen time among the study population. Multiple risk determinants identified can be utilized to plan interventions and awareness programs to regulate screen time in under-five children.