Pediatricians’ Knowledge of Screen Use and Identifying of Own Children’s Screen Use Habits

Abstract

Aim: Guidelines for children have been developed to reduce the risks associated with screen use. We aimed to learn the knowledge of pediatricians with children aged 0-6 years about screen use and to identify the screen use habits of their own children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 212 pediatricians who had children aged 0-6 years between August and September 2023. Survey questions were created according to the American Academy of Pediatrics screen time recommendations. The questions were delivered to the pediatricians via social media. Results: Of the pediatricians, 64.2% were mothers and 35.8% were fathers. The mean level of screen-use knowledge was 7.73 (maximum score =10). The pediatricians' average screening time during the day was 2.44 hours. There was a significant inverse correlation between the pediatricians' screen use knowledge level, their average screen time, and the duration of television use when the child was at home (p=0.035 and p=0.010, respectively). There was a difference between the institutions in which the pediatrician worked in terms of screen use knowledge levels (p=0.018). Conclusion: Pediatricians were knowledgeable about screening guidelines. It is important for pediatricians to approach screening from a holistic perspective and integrate it into their practices.

Keywords

• child
• media
• screen time
• pediatricians
• physicians