Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42824349›Full record

Observational studyFrontiers in public health2026

Screen exposure patterns and their associations with obesity and sleep among preschool children in a resource-limited city in eastern China: a multicenter cross-sectional study protocol.

Mengmeng Zhang, Dandan Shi, Cuiling Gao, Yang Wang, Yuan Fan, Bo Wang

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mengmeng ZhangDepartment of Nursing, Suqian First Hospital, Suqian, China.
Dandan ShiDepartment of Pediatrics, Suqian First Hospital, Suqian, China.
Cuiling GaoDepartment of Pediatrics, Suqian First Hospital, Suqian, China.
Yang WangDepartment of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Huaihai Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
Yuan FanDepartment of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Huaihai Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
Bo WangDepartment of Pediatrics, Suqian First Hospital, Suqian, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Electronic screen exposure is increasingly common among preschool children and has been associated with sleep-related outcomes and overweight/obesity. However, evidence from resource-limited areas in eastern China remains limited, particularly regarding multidimensional screen-use patterns. This study aims to describe the prevalence and patterns of screen exposure among preschool children, primarily to examine the association between excessive screen exposure and overweight/obesity, and secondarily to examine associations with sleep-related indicators. Methods: This kindergarten-based, multicenter analytical cross-sectional study will be conducted in Suqian, a resource-limited city in eastern China. Preschool children aged 3-6 years and their primary caregivers will be recruited using stratified multistage random sampling. Information on screen exposure, child and family characteristics, family media environment, and sleep-related indicators will be collected using a structured questionnaire completed by the child's primary caregiver. Children's height and weight will be measured by trained kindergarten staff using standardized procedures. Excessive screen exposure will be defined as average daily screen time >1 h/day, with ≤1 h/day used as the reference category. Overweight/obesity will be the primary outcome. Survey-weighted Poisson regression with a log link and robust variance estimation will be used to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the primary association, accounting for the stratified multistage cluster sampling design and survey weights. Associations between screen exposure and individual sleep-related indicators will be examined separately as secondary analyses using survey-weighted ordinal logistic regression models. Discussion: This study will provide context-specific epidemiological evidence on screen exposure patterns among preschool children in a resource-limited setting in eastern China. By examining multidimensional screen-use behaviors and their association with overweight/obesity, while also assessing sleep-related indicators as secondary outcomes, the study may inform future health promotion strategies and provide a basis for longitudinal research on screen exposure and child health. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn; identifier ChiCTR2600126288.

Indexed as

Pediatric ObesityScreen TimeSleepChildChild, PreschoolChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceSurveys and Questionnairescross-sectional studyobesitypreschool childrenscreen exposuresleep

Identifiers

PMID42824349
PMCPMC13627357

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.