Media-fasting in children and adolescents: a prospective study of screen-free day intentions across age groups
摘要
Intensive use of screens during childhood is associated with health risks. This brief report evaluates whether a media-fasting intervention increases the number of screen-free days and intentions to reduce screen media use in different pediatric age groups. A 6-week voluntary intervention, including pre- and post-intervention surveys, was conducted in six pediatric practices (North Rhine-Westphalia, spring 2019). Among 407 children and adolescents initially enrolled, 229 completed the post-intervention survey (43.7% drop-out); 169 were matched for pre/post analysis. “Screen-free days” were defined as 24 h with no recreational screen exposure. Data were self-reported; SES was not assessed. Adjusted mixed-effects models were employed to appropriately account for the longitudinal structure of the data across measurement occasions. Younger children reported significantly more screen-free days than adolescents, both pre- and post-intervention. Intentions for screen-free days increased after the intervention, especially in the 6–9 and 10–13 year groups. Most participants already avoided screens during meals and at night. Neither age nor gender was significantly associated with screen time.
Conclusion: Media-fasting may promote more frequent screen-free days, particularly in younger children. Owing to substantial attrition, the absence of SES data, and reliance on self-reports, findings should be interpreted with caution.