Screen time as a health determinant for kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (including a comparison of First Nations and non-Indigenous children): analysis of a cross-sectional complete enumeration survey

Abstract

Abstract Background Australian First Nations children have poorer outcomes across a range of health measures. High levels of screen time are associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. Relatively little is known on the association between screen time and health outcomes for different demographic groups, including First Nations children. We aimed to describe the screen time behaviours of First Nations and non-Indigenous kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), identify disparities in key health outcomes, and explore whether screen time was a risk factor for these outcomes. Methods 5,516 children participated in the cross-sectional population-based ACT Kindergarten Health Check (KHC) survey, including 146 First Nations children. The association between screen time of more than two hours per day and health outcomes (body mass index, respiratory health, development and wellbeing) was assessed for both First Nations and non-Indigenous cohorts using comparative statistics. Results Non-Indigenous children who had an average of more than two hours of screen time per day were 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3–1.7) times more likely to be overweight/obese, 1.2 (95% CI, 1.0-1.4) times more likely to have had a wheeze/whistle in their chest in the 12 months before the KHC, 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3–1.7) times more likely to have developmental concerns and 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3–1.8) times more likely to have reduced wellbeing measures compared to non-Indigenous children with screen time of two hours or less per day. None of these associations were statistically significant amongst First Nations children. Conclusions Screen time more than two hours per day is associated adverse health outcomes in non-Indigenous children, including overweight/obesity, respiratory problems, developmental concerns, and reduced wellbeing. Further analysis is required to enable a more robust assessment of the effect of screen time on health outcomes for First Nations children.