Influencing factors of screen time in preschool children: an exploration of parents' perceptions through focus groups in six European countries

  1. E. De Decker1,*,
  2. M. De Craemer1,
  3. I. De Bourdeaudhuij1,
  4. K. Wijndaele1,2,3,
  5. K. Duvinage4,
  6. B. Koletzko4,
  7. E. Grammatikaki5,
  8. V. Iotova6,
  9. N. Usheva7,
  10. J. M. Fernández-Alvira8,
  11. K. Zych9,
  12. Y. Manios5,
  13. G. Cardon1,
  14. ToyBox-study group

Article first published online: 6 FEB 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00961.x

Issue

Obesity Reviews

Obesity Reviews

Special Issue: The ToyBox-Study, Guest editors: Boyd Swinburn, Dianne Ward and John Reilly

Volume 13, Issue Supplement s1, pages 75–84, March 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

De Decker, E., De Craemer, M., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Wijndaele, K., Duvinage, K., Koletzko, B., Grammatikaki, E., Iotova, V., Usheva, N., Fernández-Alvira, J. M., Zych, K., Manios, Y., Cardon, G. and ToyBox-study group (2012), Influencing factors of screen time in preschool children: an exploration of parents' perceptions through focus groups in six European countries. Obesity Reviews, 13: 75–84. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00961.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

  2. 2

    Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium

  3. 3

    MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge, UK

  4. 4

    Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, University of Munich Medical Centre, München, Germany

  5. 5

    Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Kallithea, Greece

  6. 6

    Clinic of Paeditric Endocrinology, UMHAT ‘St.Marina’, Varna, Bulgaria

  7. 7

    Department of Social Medicine and Health Care Organization, Medical University Varna, Varna, Bulgaria

  8. 8

    Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

  9. 9

    The Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland

*Ellen De Decker, Ghent University, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Watersportlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. E-mail: ellen.dedecker@ugent.be

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 6 FEB 2012
  2. Article first published online: 6 FEB 2012
  3. Received 16 May 2011; revised 19 September 2011; accepted 3 October 2011

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Keywords:

  • Computer use;
  • focus groups;
  • preschool children;
  • TV viewing

Summary

Preschoolers already spend significant proportions of their waking hours being sedentary. Screen time (i.e. television/DVD viewing and computer use) has been negatively associated with several health outcomes but interventions aiming to reduce preschoolers' sedentary behaviour are scarce. This study aimed to explore parents' perceptions of their preschool children's screen time. One hundred twenty-two parents of low and medium-high socioeconomic status from six European countries with children between 4 and 6 years old were involved in 24 focus groups. Following a qualitative content analysis, the available information and key findings were centrally analysed. Results showed that children tend to like watching television (TV) and most parents do not express worries about their children's TV viewing time. Education is considered to be the main benefit of watching TV and in general, parents only have informal rules about TV viewing. Computer and active games use are less frequent compared with TV viewing. No univocal results are found about the influence of siblings or friends on children's screen time. Weather conditions and parental habits at home are the most important factors influencing children's screen time. Alternatives for screen activities and information on how to set rules for screen time should be provided to parents to assist them in decreasing their preschool children's screen time.

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