Association of screen time with long-term stress and temperament in preschoolers: results from the DAGIS study

Screen time is increasing rapidly in young children. The aim of this study was to examine associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in Finnish preschool children and the moderating role of socioeconomic status. Cross-sectional DAGIS data were utilized. Long-term stress was assessed using hair cortisol concentration, indicating values of the past 2 months. Temperament was reported by the parents using the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (the Very Short Form), and three broad temperament dimensions were constructed: surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Screen time was reported by the parents over 7 days. The highest education level in the household was used as an indicator of socioeconomic status. In total, 779 children (mean age, 4.7 +/- 0.9 years, 52% boys) were included in the study. Of the temperament dimensions, a higher effortful control was associated with less screen time (B = - 6.70, p = 0.002). There was no evidence for an association between hair cortisol concentration and screen time nor a moderating role of socioeconomic status in the associations (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that preschool children with a higher score in effortful control had less screen time. Because effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children.What is Known: center dot Screen time has increased rapidly during the last decades, and higher screen time has been linked with numerous adverse health consequences in children. center dot There are no previous studies investigating associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in young children.What is New: center dot Of the temperament dimensions, effortful control was associated with higher screen time in preschool children, but there was no association found between long-term stress and screen time. center dot Since effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children.