ArticleEnvironmental health and preventive medicine2021
Early childhood screen time as a predictor of emotional and behavioral problems in children at 4 years: a birth cohort study in China.
Article in Environmental health and preventive medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Screen time and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Pooled it
- Longitudinal associations between digital media use and ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents: a systematic literature review.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Screen time and depression risk: A meta-analysis of cohort studies.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Pooled it
- Electronic media exposure and neurodevelopment in children under 5 years of age: an updated evidence-based narrative review.Clinical and experimental pediatrics · 2026Article
- 24-hour movement behaviors and internalizing and externalizing problems among Japanese preschool children: A compositional data analysis.Journal of exercise science and fitness · 2026Article
- Young children's screen time, executive functions, and language development: Longitudinal moderation of parent/child coviewing and media content.Developmental psychology · 2026Article
- Aggressive behaviour during a standardized play observation in 3 to 6-year-old children with and without refugee experience: an observational study.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2026Article
- Screen exposure before age two and developmental outcomes in early childhood: a national cross-sectional study in China.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Children and Adolescents: The Role of Parental Mental Illnesses: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Excessive screen time among young Malaysian children: associated factors and influences on behaviour and development.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- Association between preschool children's media use, parental joint media engagement and prosocial behavior: A longitudinal cohort study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- A longitudinal study of parent-child relationship and behavioral problems in children aged 3 to 6: the mediating role of screen time.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Parental sports support and emotional-behavioral problems in preschoolers: the chain mediating roles of exercise habits and parent-child relationships.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Longitudinal associations between maternal and child screen use at 1 year of age and child behavior and development at 3 years of age.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- Trajectories of Physical Activity and Screen Media Use in Toddlers and Related Parenting Practices: Child and Mother Physical Activity Study (CAMPAS).Research square · 2025Article
- Does Parental Media Soothing Lead to the Risk of Callous-Unemotional Behaviors in Early Childhood? Testing a Moderated Mediation Model.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Screen Exposure and Early Childhood Development in Resource-Limited Regions: Findings From a Population-Based Survey Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Association of maternal and paternal adverse childhood experiences with emotional and behavioral problems among preschool children.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2025Article
- Adherence to the Singapore Integrated 24 h Activity Guidelines for Pre-Primary School Children Before, During and After the COVID-19 Lockdown in Singapore.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Digital screen exposure and emotional symptoms in preschool children: mediation by parent-child relationship and moderation by peer relationships.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPrevious studies have suggested that screen time (ST) has a negative effect on children's emotional and behavioral health, but there are few longitudinal studies that have been conducted with infants and toddlers. This study sought to examine the effect of ST in early childhood on emotional and behavioral problems in children aged 4 years, based on a birth cohort study in China.
methodsA total of 2492 children aged 4 years were enrolled in this study. The parents and guardians of each child completed a questionnaire that included items eliciting information on children's birth information, socio-demographic information at baseline, and ST at each follow-up. Emotional and behavioral problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 4 years of age. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to explore the effects of ST on emotional and behavioral problems.
resultsThe percentages of children with ST > 0 h/day at age 0.5 years, ST > 2 h/day at age 2.5 years, and ST > 2 h/day at age 4 years were 45.7, 55.5, and 34.5% respectively. The prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems was 10.8%. ST at 6 months was a risk factor for emotional symptoms and hyperactivity at the age of 4 years. ST at age 2.5 years was a risk factor for hyperactivity at the age of 4 years. However, ST at age 4 years was a risk factor for total difficulties, conduct problems, peer problems, hyperactivity, and prosocial behavior.
conclusionsHigher ST exposure at early childhood is associated with later emotional and behavioral problems. In particular, sustained high ST exposure is a risk factor for behavioral problems. These findings suggested the importance of controlling ST to prevent the occurrence of emotional and behavioral problems in the early years.
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