Missed Opportunities for Middle Childhood: Less Sport Predicts Increased Risk for Shyness in Millennial Girls with Preschool Access to Bedroom Television

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Childhood bedroom screens represent a risk factor for negative behavioral outcomes. Childhood sport participation might be a protective factor for potential negative associations with having a bedroom screen in early childhood. Methods: This study examines whether extracurricular sport participation in middle childhood reduces developmental risks associated with bedroom screens in boys and girls. We use a millennial birth cohort from the QLSCD. Children reported having a bedroom television at age 4 years. Parents reported child participation in sport from ages 6 to 10 years. We examine subsequent teacher-reported depressive symptoms and shyness outcomes by the end of sixth grade. We used linear regression to examine the interaction between child-reported bedroom television placement (age 4 years) and parent-reported childhood sport participation trajectories (ages 6 to 10 years) in predicting behavioral outcomes at age 12 years. Key Results: For girls, inconsistent extracurricular sport amplified the relationship between having a preschool bedroom television and subsequent shyness (b = 0.6212, SE = 0.3245, p < 0.05), beyond individual and family characteristics. Conclusions: Less consistent sport participation was associated with increased risk of shyness in girls having grown up with a bedroom television. These findings corroborate that extracurricular activity can be a suitable candidate for enhancing skills and social interactions.