Maternal Education Level and Excessive Recreational Screen Time in Children: A Mediation Analysis

Abstract

There is increasing recognition of the adverse health consequences of excessive recreational screen time (RST) in children and adolescents. Early interventions that aim to reduce RST are crucial, but there are some controversies about which individual and parental variables affect RST in children. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of parental education level with RST in children and early adolescents and to identify mediators of these relationships. This cross-sectional study examined a sample of children (2–14 year-old) who attended routine childcare visits in primary health care centers in Spain (n = 402; 53.7% males; mean age: 7 ± 4 year-old). A self-reported questionnaire was given to the parents to assess sociodemographic data, parental education, the home media environment, and RST in children. Separate analysis was performed for two age groups (2–6 year-old and 6–14 year-old). Path analysis, an application of structural equation modeling, was used to analyze the data. Fitty three percent of the children had excessive RST (≥2 h/day). The maternal education level, eating lunch/dinner in front of a TV, presence of a background TV, and the amount of parental TV viewing had significant associations with excessive RST in both age groups. For the younger group, the maternal education level had direct and indirect effects on RST (total effect: β = −0.29, p < 0.01). For the older group, maternal education level only had a significant indirect effect on RST, and this was mediated by the presence of a background TV and the time of parental TV viewing (total indirect effect: β = −0.11, p < 0.01). A higher maternal education level appears to be associated with certain environmental factors or habits that prevent excessive RST.

Screen Time and Parents’ Education Level Are Associated with Poor Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Spanish Children and Adolescents: The PASOS Study

“…This association is consistent with what is reported in the scientific literature [37,49,50]. Estimated screen time is greater among adolescents than children, which is also in line with what has been noted in other studies [25,51].…”

“…A work by Abdel Magid et al showed that among adolescents in the United States of America, screen time was higher in those whose parents had a low level of education [61]. Our results are also in line with a study by Pons et al which indicated that a high education level among mothers is associated with lesser screen time and other healthy habits [14,25]. The mechanism which underlies the association between a lower educational level and a greater amount of screen time is not entirely clear.…”

“…In addition to the aforementioned factors, parents' education level also appears to be associated with factors that may influence childhood and adolescent obesity, such as dietary and physical activity habits [24,25]. For years, education level has been considered to be one of the strongest predictors of health and mortality, even more so than income level [26].…”

The Influence of Family Sports Attitude on Children’s Sports Participation, Screen Time, and Body Mass Index

“…The study also found that children whose parents had college education levels spend more time on moderate-intensity activity than children whose parents had middle school education levels or below ( Wärnberg et al, 2021 ). The results of this study are also consistent with those of other studies ( Pons et al, 2020 ). So, the results of this study are not only limited to Chinese children but also consistent with those of Spanish and Caucasian children; the results showed that the educational level of the parents was related to the health habits of children ( Duch et al, 2013 ; Carson et al, 2017 ; Monserrat et al, 2020 ; Yañez et al, 2020 ).…”

Eating Disorder Symptoms and Body Image in Adolescents from Public Schools in Brazil

“…Another factor with a potential effect on the health status of children and adolescents is the level of maternal education. Previous studies have identified positive associations between maternal education and several health events, such as reduced infant mortality [32], maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding [33], and less passive leisure time in front of screens [34]. Although there are factors that make it impossible to generalize the statement that the increase in maternal education level acts as a protective factor for health outcomes in the child and adolescent population, it is reasonable to believe that mothers with high educational levels can stimulate their children to develop autonomy and resist social and media pressures for an unhealthy aesthetic standard.…”