OBJECTIVES: Excessive screen use in early school age is associated with worsened health habits and negative child development in later age. We aimed to assess the time spent on modern and traditional screen-based devices and examine its associations with socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: This population-based cross-sectional observation study was conducted in Czechia, Slovakia and Finland between April and June 2021. Participants (N = 1,915) were parents/caregivers of children attending elementary school grades 1 to 3, selected by stratified random sampling. Children's daily leisure screen time (LST) based on parental reports was the main outcome. Descriptive statistics, mean comparison and linear regression analysis were used for the analysis. RESULTS: The average daily LST was found to be as high as 3.5 hours and significantly associated with most socio-demographic variables. Eighty percent of children exceeded the threshold of two hours of LST per day, which was formerly introduced by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The most important predictor of LST in children was having their screen-based device(s) for their exclusive personal use (EPU). Linear regression with all predictors assessed together confirmed the significant effect of the screen-based devices' EPU, the child's sex and grade, the child's birth order and the parent's education, even when controlled for media parenting practices. CONCLUSIONS: Given the widespread availability of smartphones for exclusive personal use among young children, the regulation of EPU and the reinforcement of effective media parenting practices, particularly in families with lower education and income, are critical public health strategies to mitigate the negative impact of excessive screen time on child development and overall well-being.

• Keywords
• children, computer, early school age, prevention, screen time, screen use, smartphone, tablet, television,
• MeSH
• Screen Time * MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Sociodemographic Factors MeSH
• Socioeconomic Factors MeSH
• Leisure Activities * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Observational Study MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH
• Finland epidemiology   MeSH
• Slovakia epidemiology   MeSH

Given the negative outcomes associated with smartphone use during personal and relational activities (SUPRA), parents strive to regulate its use among their children. However, media parenting recommendations lack knowledge of parental views on SUPRA and their relative occurrence in youths. This study aimed to (i) estimate SUPRA frequency among children and adolescents, (ii) assess parental dislike (PD) of SUPRA, and (iii) identify predictors of PD of SUPRA. An online survey was completed by 826 parents (49% mothers, age 25-74, Median = 43 years), capturing PD of SUPRA, estimated frequency of SUPRA in their children (49% female, age 6-18, Median = 10 years), parenting styles (warmth and control), parental attitudes toward screen media, and sociodemographic characteristics. The rate of frequent SUPRA was significantly higher in adolescents (2.7-48.1%) compared to children (2.1-27.2%) with odds ratios ranging from 0.67 to 3.04, depending on the activity type. PD of SUPRA was high in parents of children (M = 4.04, SD = 0.66) and adolescents (M = 3.93, SD = 0.71). Linear regression identified being a mother, having higher levels of control and warmth, and less positive attitudes toward screen media as significant predictors of SUPRA dislike. Our study was the first to report the estimated occurrence and parental dislike of smartphone use (SU) during various personal and relational activities, enabling their direct comparison. Experts warn against SU while studying and at bedtime, which frequently occurred in 4-5% of children and 10-12% of adolescents. More attention should be paid to SU during relational (peer/family) activities due to its relatively high occurrence and parental dissatisfaction.

• MeSH
• Smartphone * MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Attitude MeSH
• Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
• Parents * psychology   MeSH
• Parenting * psychology   MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Parent-Child Relations MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH