Prospective associations of screen time at age 2 with specific behavioral subscales at age 3: a cohort study

Ippei Takahashi; Taku Obara; Mami Ishikuro; Masatsugu Orui; Aoi Noda; Genki Shinoda; Fuji Nagami; Atsushi Hozawa; Tomoko Nishimura; Kenji J Tsuchiya; Shinichi Kuriyama

doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdae240

Prospective associations of screen time at age 2 with specific behavioral subscales at age 3: a cohort study

J Public Health (Oxf). 2024 Sep 11:fdae240. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdae240. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ippei Takahashi¹, Taku Obara^{1

2

3}, Mami Ishikuro^{1

2}, Masatsugu Orui^{1

2}, Aoi Noda^{1

2

3}, Genki Shinoda^{1

2}, Fuji Nagami⁴, Atsushi Hozawa^{2

5

6}, Tomoko Nishimura^{7

8}, Kenji J Tsuchiya^{7

8}, Shinichi Kuriyama^{1

2

9}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Molecular Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 7F, Tohoku Medical Megabank Building 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8573, Japan.
² Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, 7F, Tohoku Medical Megabank Building 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8573, Japan.
³ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University Hospital, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
⁴ Department of Public Relations and Planning, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, 3F, Tohoku Medical Megabank Building 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8573, Japan.
⁵ Division of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
⁶ Division of Personalized Prevention and Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 7F, Tohoku Medical Megabank Building 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8573, Japan.
⁷ United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan.
⁸ Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan.
⁹ Division of Disaster Public Health, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, 7F, Tohoku Medical Megabank Building 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8573, Japan.

PMID: 39263935
DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdae240

Abstract

Background: We aim to discover which, if any, of the subscales of internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems at age 3 are still associated with screen time (ST) at age 2 after adjusting for behavioral problems scores at age 2.

Methods: This study was conducted under the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study. Information was gathered prospectively, with 7207 mother-child pairs included in the analysis. Children's ST was categorized in hours a day at age 2 (<1, 1-<2, 2-<4, ≥4). We assessed children's behavioral problems using the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½-5 (CBCL) at ages 2 and 3. 'Having behavioral problems' was defined by them being within a clinical range for internalizing behaviors (withdrawn, somatic complaints, anxious/depressed and emotionally reactive) and externalizing behaviors (attention problems and aggressive behaviors) at age 3. Continuous scores on each of the behavioral problem scales at age 2 were used as covariates.

Results: Greater ST for children at age 2 was associated with specific subscales for emotionally reactive and aggressive behaviors at age 3.

Conclusions: This study found that ST is prospectively associated with some behavioral scales but not others.

Keywords: childcare; developmental/behavioral health; epidemiology; screen time.

Grants and funding

JP17km0105001/Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development