BACKGROUND: Evidence is lacking on the screen-based behaviour of adolescents with a chronic condition. The aim of our study was to analyse differences in screen-based behaviour of adolescents by long-term illness, asthma and learning disabilities. METHODS: We used data from the cross-sectional Health Behaviour of School-aged Children study collected in 2014 among Slovak adolescents (age 13 to 15 years old, N = 2682, 49.7 % boys). We analysed the associations between screen-based behaviour and long-term illness, asthma and learning disabilities using logistic regression models adjusted for gender. RESULTS: We found no associations between screen-based behaviour and long-term illness, except that children with asthma had a 1.60-times higher odds of excessively playing computer games than healthy children (95 % confidence interval of odds ratio (CI): 1.11-2.30). Children with learning disabilities had 1.71-times higher odds of risky use of the Internet (95 % CI: 1.19-2.45). CONCLUSION: Adolescents with a long-term illness or with a chronic condition or a learning disability do not differ from their peers in screen-based activities. Exceptions are children with asthma and children with learning disabilities, who reported more risky screen-based behaviour.

Center for Kinanthropology Research Institute of Active Lifestyle Faculty of Physical Culture Palacky University in Olomouc Tr Miru 115 Olomouc 77111 Czech Republic

Department of Community and Occupational Health University of Groningen University Medical Center Groningen A Deusinglaan 1 9713 AV Groningen The Netherlands

Department of Health Psychology Faculty of Medicine P J Safarik University in Kosice Tr SNP 1 Kosice 040 01 Slovak Republic

Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health Faculty of Medicine P J Safarik University in Kosice Tr SNP 1 Kosice 040 01 Slovak Republic

Institute for Research on Children Youth and Family Faculty of Social Studies Masaryk University Brno Joštova 10 602 00 Brno Czech Republic

Olomouc University Social Health Institute Palacky University Olomouc Tr Miru 115 Olomouc 77111 Czech Republic

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