ArticleCureus2025
Association Between Screen Time, Dietary Patterns, and Oral Health Among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- The Effects of Family-Based Programs on Preschool Children's Screen Time: A Systematic Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Scrolling Through Risk: The Overlooked Oral Health Cost of the Digital Lifestyle.International journal of dentistry · 2026Review
- Exploring the link between screen time and severity of early childhood caries in primary molars: a cross-sectional study.BMC oral health · 2025Observational
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionScreen time refers to the duration spent on digital devices, including televisions, computers, and mobile devices. Increased screen exposure among children raises concerns about its psychological, physical, and social health effects. Excessive screen time has been linked to poor dietary habits, reduced physical activity, and oral health issues such as dental caries. However, the association between screen time, dietary patterns, and oral health remains inadequately explored.
aimThis study aimed to assess the association between screen time and children's dietary patterns, oral hygiene practices, and oral health status. MATERIALS AND
methodsA cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a hospital-based setting in the Departments of Pediatric & Preventive Dentistry and Pediatrics over two months (December 2023-January 2024). A total of 353 children aged 6-13 years were recruited using convenience sampling. Screen time data were collected through parental interviews, while oral health status was assessed using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System II (ICDAS II) index. Dietary patterns were evaluated using a seven-day dietary recall. Data were analyzed using SPSS v23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05.
resultsAmong the 353 participants, 187 (53.0%) were female. Nearly 66 (18.7%) children exceeded two hours of screen time per day on weekdays, while 276 (78.2%) exceeded this threshold on weekends. Only 60 (17.0%) reported brushing twice daily. The mean number of non-cavitated carious lesions was 0.7, while cavitated carious lesions averaged 3.8. Children who frequently watched screens while eating consumed approximately 22% of their meals in front of a screen. A statistically significant correlation was found between cavitated carious lesions and screen-related eating habits (p < 0.05), though the correlation coefficients were low.
conclusionThe study identified a significant increase in screen time during weekends compared to weekdays. Higher screen use was associated with a greater number of cavitated carious lesions and total caries. Additionally, frequent screen use during meals was linked to unhealthy dietary patterns. Our findings highlight the importance of parental monitoring and structured screen time limits to encourage healthier dietary habits and improved oral hygiene among children.
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