ReviewJournal of functional morphology and kinesiology2024
The Impact of Digital Devices on Children's Health: A Systematic Literature Review.
Review in Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of Digital Health Interventions on Breastfeeding Rates, Self-Efficacy, and Knowledge: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Screen Time, Unhealthy Eating Behaviors, and Associated Health Risks in Children: A Narrative Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Improving Interviews with Children in Abuse Cases: Current Perspectives from Police and Forensic Interviewers.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Knowledge and Awareness of Myopia Among Parents and Teachers of Schoolchildren Aged 6-15 Years in Beirut, Lebanon.Vision (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Correlates of mobile device use in young children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Characterization of Internet Gaming Addiction among School Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of Digital and Remote Health Interventions in Pediatric Populations From Underserved or Rural Areas: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.International journal of telemedicine and applications · 2026Review
- Designing, Developing, and Evaluating a Stakeholder-Informed Mobile App to Promote Physical Activity in Children.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Media Consumption by Preschool Children: The Risk of Autism and Developmental Disorders.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2025Review
- Article
- Children's and adolescents' lifestyle factors associated with physical activity in five Mediterranean countries: the DELICIOUS project.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Screen time exposure and academic performance, anxiety, and behavioral problems among school children.PeerJ · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe impact of prolonged digital device exposure on physical and mental health in children has been widely investigated by the scientific community. Additionally, the lockdown periods due to the COVID-19 pandemic further exposed children to screen time for e-learning activities. The aim of this systematic review (PROSPERO Registration: CRD42022315596) was to evaluate the effect of digital device exposure on children's health. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was additionally explored to verify the further exposure of children due to the e-learning environment.
methodsAvailable online databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, BASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus) were searched for study selection. The PICO model was followed by including a target population of children aged 2 to 12 years, exposed or not to any type of digital devices, while evaluating changes in both physical and mental health outcomes. The quality assessment was conducted by using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tool. Synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) guidelines were followed to provide data synthesis.
resultsForty studies with a total sample of 75,540 children were included in this systematic review. The study design was mainly cross-sectional (n = 28) and of moderate quality (n = 33). Overall, the quality score was reduced due to recall, selection, and detection biases; blinding procedures influenced the quality score of controlled trials, and outcome validity reduced the quality score of cohort studies. Digital device exposure affected physical activity engagement and adiposity parameters; sleep and behavioral problems emerged in children overexposed to digital devices. Ocular conditions were also reported and associated with higher screen exposure. Home confinement during COVID-19 further increased digital device exposure with additional negative effects.
conclusionsThe prolonged use of digital devices has a significant negative impact on children aged 2 to 12, leading to decreased physical activity, sleep disturbances, behavioral issues, lower academic performance, socioemotional challenges, and eye strain, particularly following extended online learning during lockdowns.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.