Parents Attitude, Knowledge and Action towards Access of Screentime in Pre-Adolescent (4-12y) Children

Resumen

The popularity of the use of digital devices among children has made screen time an increasingly significant issue in the field of public health. Parental involvement is very key in controlling the amount of screen time children engage in and encouraging healthy screen time. This research was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents as far as screen time among pre-adolescent children aged between 4 and 12 years old. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was a quantitative one. A structured self-administered questionnaire including demographic variables and knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) variables indicated children screen time was used to gather data on 200 parents. To analyze the data collected, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The results turned out that 48.0 percent of parents possess moderate knowledge, with 38.0 percent of them exhibiting good knowledge in respect to the recommended screen-time practices. We have found positive attitudes toward healthy screen-time management (61.0% of participants), and 42.0% participants indicated good parental practices in monitoring and regulating or controlling the use of screens by their children. There were significant correlations between parental knowledge and educational qualification and monthly family income (p < 0.05). The paper arrives at the conclusion that despite most parents having good awareness and positive attitudes, there is still a need to embrace the practices enshrined in the recommendations of screen-time management. Improving parental education via healthcare providers, schools and community awareness initiatives could improve healthy digital behaviours and decrease the potential physical, psychological, and social upheavals that accompany too much screen time for pre-adolescent children.