Describing correlates of early childhood screen time and outdoor time in Soweto, South Africa
Describing correlates of early childhood screen time and outdoor time in Soweto, South Africa
Background: contextual factors are likely to influence whether young children are able to adhere to recommended health behaviours. This study aimed to: (1) describe the social and environmental characteristics of children under five living in Soweto, South Africa; and (2) determine factors associated with screen time and outdoor play in this population.
Methods: household surveys were conducted in Soweto to collect data on children's screen time and access to outdoor space, as well as information about the household. A multilevel regression analysis was conducted for each outcome.
Results: data on 2309 children aged five or under were included in this analysis. Children used screens for an average of one and a half hours per day during the week, and nearly 2 hours per day on weekends. Almost all (92%) children had a safe space to play inside, while just over a third (34%) had a safe space to play outside. A higher socioeconomic status was associated with less time spent playing outside and more screen time.
Conclusion: interventions promoting outdoor play and restricting screen time are essential for improving health trajectories, but need to address structural barriers that exist, in order to protect the safety of children while promoting health behaviours.
infants, movement guidelines, play, screen time, toddlers
Prioreschi, Alessandra
04875305-6e91-4199-98bb-8154707060c4
Norris, Shane A.
1d346f1b-6d5f-4bca-ac87-7589851b75a4
1 July 2022
Prioreschi, Alessandra
04875305-6e91-4199-98bb-8154707060c4
Norris, Shane A.
1d346f1b-6d5f-4bca-ac87-7589851b75a4
Prioreschi, Alessandra and Norris, Shane A.
(2022)
Describing correlates of early childhood screen time and outdoor time in Soweto, South Africa.
Infant and Child Development, 31 (4), [e2313].
(doi:10.1002/icd.2313).
Abstract
Background: contextual factors are likely to influence whether young children are able to adhere to recommended health behaviours. This study aimed to: (1) describe the social and environmental characteristics of children under five living in Soweto, South Africa; and (2) determine factors associated with screen time and outdoor play in this population.
Methods: household surveys were conducted in Soweto to collect data on children's screen time and access to outdoor space, as well as information about the household. A multilevel regression analysis was conducted for each outcome.
Results: data on 2309 children aged five or under were included in this analysis. Children used screens for an average of one and a half hours per day during the week, and nearly 2 hours per day on weekends. Almost all (92%) children had a safe space to play inside, while just over a third (34%) had a safe space to play outside. A higher socioeconomic status was associated with less time spent playing outside and more screen time.
Conclusion: interventions promoting outdoor play and restricting screen time are essential for improving health trajectories, but need to address structural barriers that exist, in order to protect the safety of children while promoting health behaviours.
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 22 February 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 11 March 2022
Published date: 1 July 2022
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
South African Medical Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. SAN is supported by the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Funding information Canadian Institutes of Health Research; South African Medical Research Council
Keywords:
infants, movement guidelines, play, screen time, toddlers
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 476523
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/476523
ISSN: 1522-7227
PURE UUID: 9d935cf6-8e7a-4bd1-bda4-b6053310342a
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Date deposited: 04 May 2023 17:10
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:52
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Author:
Alessandra Prioreschi
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