Screen media dependency and its associated factors among preschool children in Kuala Lumpur

• Main Authors: Abdul Hadi, Azwanis, Abd Latip, Nurul Akmal, Mohammad Aidid, Edre
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UPM 2023
• Subjects: R Medicine (General); RA Public aspects of medicine; RJ Pediatrics; RZ Other systems of medicine
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/104876/2/104876_Screen%20media%20dependency%20and%20its%20associated%20factors.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/104876/8/104876_Screen%20media%20dependency%20and%20its%20associated%20factors_SCOPUS.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/104876/; https://medic.upm.edu.my/upload/dokumen/2023051611092625_MJMHS_0547.pdf

Introduction: Excessive screen time among young children is associated with screen dependency. At this moment, there is a lack of data on screen dependency among young children in Malaysia. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of screen dependency and its associated factors among preschool children in Kuala Lumpur. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at registered preschools in Kuala Lumpur. 300 parents of preschool children aged 4 to 6 years old who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited via simple random sampling. The Screen Dependency Scale (SDS) were used to assess their dependency to screen media. Univariate and multivariate statistics were analysed using IBM SPSS version 27. Results: The prevalence of screen dependency among preschool children in Kuala Lumpur was 65.7%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that using the screen to resolve children’s quarrels (aOR 2.855, 95% CI 1.187 - 6.868), children who use smartphones (aOR 2.735, 95% CI: 1.244 - 6.013), children’s screen time exceeds 2 hours over the weekend (aOR 2.261, 95% CI: 1.058 - 4.830) and having a television in the bedroom (aOR 5.562, 95% CI: 1.591 - 19.442) were predictors for screen dependency. While active co-use mediation (aOR 0.505, 95% CI: 0.302 - 0.845) were protective. Conclusion: The prevalence of screen dependency was high among preschool children in Kuala Lumpur. Active screening at health care clinics or in schools is essential to identify early children with risk factors for screen dependency. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences (2023) 19(3):204-214. doi:10.47836/mjmhs19.3.26