Smartphone and tablet usage during COVID-19 pandemic confinement in children under 48 months in Barcelona (Spain)

Background: Total lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic might have potentially increased screen time in children. This study aims to describe the smartphone and tablets usage in children under 48 months living in Barcelona during the COVID-19 confinement. Methods: Cross-sectional study using a non-proba...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Cartanyà-Hueso, Àurea, Lidón Moyano, Cristina, Cassanello Peñarroya, Pía, Díez-Izquierdo, Ana, Martín Sánchez, Juan Carlos, Balaguer Santamaría, Albert, Martínez Sánchez, Jose María
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:20.500.12328/2018
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12328/2018
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9010096
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:COVID-19 (Malaltia)
Televisió i infants
Infants -- Salut i higiene
COVID-19
Televisión y niños
Niños -- Salud e higiene
Television and children
Children -- Health and hygiene
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Descripción
Sumario:Background: Total lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic might have potentially increased screen time in children. This study aims to describe the smartphone and tablets usage in children under 48 months living in Barcelona during the COVID-19 confinement. Methods: Cross-sectional study using a non-probabilistic sample of parents with children under 48 months living in Barcelona (Spain) during COVID-19 confinement (n = 313). We calculated percentages of exposure to smartphones and tablets. Moreover, for those children were exposed, we calculated unadjusted and adjusted Geometric Mean Ratios (GMR) of daily smartphones and tablets usage and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) trough Generalized Linear Models with Gamma family and link log. Associations were adjusted for potential confounders. Results: During COVID-19 confinement, 67.5% of children under 48 months were daily exposed to smartphones and tablets. Further, those children who were exposed during meals, as well as before going to bed, spend longer durations using them, aGMR = 2.38 (95% CI 1.73, 3.34) and aGMR = 1.95 (95% CI 1.34, 2.91) respectively. Conclusion: Two out of three children under 48 months living in Barcelona were daily exposed to smartphones and tablets during total lockdown due to COVID-19. Taking this findings into account cohort studies are needed to assess any change in the screen time patterns due to total confinement in order to allow the Government help families, particularly those more vulnerable, in a possible pandemic resurgence.