Screen usage of 4-6 year-old children, and its' relation with parental screen usage and family functions

Screen Usage of 4-6 Year-Old Children, and Its' Relation with Parental Screen Usage and Family Functions Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the screen usage habits of pre-school children in relation to their parents' screen usage habits and family functions. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, questionnaires were distributed to all kindergarden students in the Adana Sarıçam district after obtaining the necessary permits. Those filled out completely (n=198) from the questionnaires sent to the parents via class teachers were analyzed. Family functions were assessed by the "Family Assessment Scale". Screen durations were calculated by adding up the time spent on tablets, television, mobile phones and computers. Results: It was determined that 57.6% of the children were using screens for over 2 hours during weekdays and 76.3% of them were using screens for over two hours on weekends. It was found that the child's age, mother's working status, parents' education and the children attending the school affected the screen time of the children. 88.9% of the parents said that there are domestic rules about the screen,62.6% of the parents reported that their children were facing the screen while eating, 44.4% of the children had their own screen, and 90.9% said they did not get any suggestions from the family physican or pediatrician about screen usage. It has been determined that the children having screens of their own and the lack of suggestions from physicians on screen usage increase children's use of screens. There was a moderate correlation in the positive direction between the screen usage times of the children and the screen usage times of the parents. There was no relationship between family functions and children's screen usage time. Conclusion: Given the strong relationship between parental screen usage habits and children's screen usage times, it is thought that many family physicians who have many contacts with this age group, will be able to use this as an advantage and take a more active role. In this respect, it is thought that the addition of consultancy services to the screening of guides for the first step in our country may increase the awareness and applicability of this issue. Keywords: preschool child, screen time, parent, family functions