Poster #231 - The Longitudinal Association Between Youth Screen Time and Behavioral Problems: The Role of Sleep Disturbances

• In Event: 3-206 - Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Section - Technology, Media & Child Development

Integrative Statement

BACKGROUND: Child digital media use has dramatically shifted in the last decade, rising to approximately 6-to-7 hours per day of screen time for the average school-aged child and 9 hours a day for the average adolescent, not including when used for academics. This rise in children’s screen time is particularly concerning given the accumulating evidence suggesting that excessive screen time in childhood is associated with increases in behavioral health problems (e.g., internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems). However, the process by which screen time increases these problems has not been elucidated. One potential mechanism of this association is youth sleep quality. Specifically, there are established individual associations between youth screen time and compromised sleep quality as well as between sleep and a variety of childhood behavioral health outcomes. For instance, Parent and colleagues (2016) found cross-sectional support for the indirect effect of youth screen time on behavioral health problems through sleep disturbances. The purpose of the present study is to extend these results using a prospective longitudinal design well as to examine the nature and magnitude of this indirect effect across early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence, to explicate potential developmental differences and sensitive periods.
METHOD: Participants were 564 parents (60% mothers) of children between the ages of 3 and 17 (54.4% boys). Parents reported on their children’s screen time, sleep quality, and behavioral health outcomes at four waves spanning a total of 12 months. Longitudinal structural equation modeling was employed to examine a three-wave mediation model and multiple-group models were used to test youth developmental stage moderation.
RESULTS: In line with previous research, findings revealed an indirect, but not direct, effect of youth screen time on behavioral problems (i.e., internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems) through the negative impact of screen time on sleep quality (see Figure 1 for complete details). Specifically, higher levels of youth screen time at the first wave predicted lower levels of sleep quality, which in turn, predicted higher levels of internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems at the 12-month follow-up. Regarding youth developmental stage, multiple-group models supported largely consistent effect sizes across development. The only significant difference between developmental stages was that sleep problems were not predictive of internalizing problems in adolescence. The final model with all but the above path constrained to be equal across groups demonstrated good fit, χ2 (57, N = 564) = 87.2, RMSEA = .05, 95% CI .029 - .075, CFI = .96, SRMR = .069. Lastly, the indirect effect of youth screen time on externalizing and attention problems through sleep problems was significant for childhood and adolescence whereas the indirect effect for internalizing problems was only significant in early and middle childhood.
CONCLUSIONS: This study is consistent with and extends previous findings by providing longitudinal evidence for sleep disturbances as a mechanism through which youth screen time negatively impacts behavior health problems. Intervention and prevention programs targeting screen time habits in youth should consider including content on healthy sleep practices (e.g., limiting screen time before bed, no screens in the bedroom).

Authors

• Chelsea Dale, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Juliana Acosta, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Emoni McGregor, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Justin Parent, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author