Screen Time among School-aged Children of Aged 6-14: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Abstract Background: Screen time refers to the time an individual spends using electronic or digital media devices such as televisions, smart phones, tablets or computers. The purpose of this study was to conduct systematic review to analyze the relevant studies on the length and use of screen time ofschool-agedchildren at home and abroad, in order to provide scientific basis for designing screen time interventions and perfecting the screen use guidelines for Chinese school-agedchildren. Methods: Screen time related studies were searched on PubMed, EMBASE, Clinical Trials, Controlled Trials, The WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CNKI, and Whipple Journal databases from January 1, 2016 to October 31, 2021. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted the data, and adopted a qualitative analysis method to evaluate the research status of the length and usageof screen time of school-aged students. Results: 53 studies were included. The screen time of schoolchildren aged 6 to 14 was 2.77 hours per day, and 46.4% of them had an average screen time ≥2 hours per day. The main uses were TV, computer and games. Conclusion: Excessive screen time has become a common behavior among children and adolescents around the world. Intervention measures to control children's screen use should be explored in combination with different uses to reduce the proportion of non-essential uses.