Association of Children's Physical Activity and Screen Time With Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Tandon PS, Zhou C, Johnson AM, Gonzalez ES, Kroshus E
JAMA network open · 119 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cross-sectional study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- University or hospital
- Seattle Children's Research Institute
- University or hospital
- Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Research Institute
Based on 2 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2021-10-01 · JAMA Netw Open · vol. 4 · issue 10 · p. e2127892
- Publisher
- American Medical Association
- Cited
- 199 citations · more than 100% of similar papers · 21.4× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 49 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- COVID-19 and Mental Health · Child Development and Digital Technology · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- physical activity, screen time, child mental health, COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 stressors, externalizing problems, internalizing problems, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, recess physical activity, school closures, parent-child dyads, racial and ethnic disparities
- MeSH
- humans, exercise, stress, psychological, mental health, adolescent, child, united states, female, male, screen time, covid-19, sars-cov-2
5 authors
From US
- Pooja Sarin Tandon · correspondingUniversity of Washington; Seattle Children's Research Institute
- Chuan ZhouUniversity of Washington; Seattle Children's Research Institute
- Ashleigh M. JohnsonSeattle Children's Research Institute
- Erin N. SchoenfelderUniversity of Washington; Seattle Children's Research Institute
- Emily KroshusUniversity of Washington; Seattle Children's Research Institute
Abstract
Importance
Children's physical activity and screen time are likely suboptimal during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may influence their current and future mental health.
Objective
To describe the association of physical activity and screen time with mental health among US children during the pandemic.
Design, setting, and participants
This cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 22 to November 2, 2020, among 547 parents of children aged 6 to 10 years and 535 parent-child dyads with children and adolescents (hereinafter referred to as children) aged 11 to 17 years and matched down to 500 children per cohort using US Census-based sampling frames. Children aged 11 to 17 years self-reported physical activity, screen time, and mental health, and their parents reported other measures. Parents of children aged 6 to 10 years reported all measures. All 1000 cases were further weighted to a sampling frame corresponding to US parents with children aged 6 to 17 years using propensity scores.
Exposures
Child physical activity, screen time, COVID-19 stressors, and demographics.
Main outcomes and measures
Mental health using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for total difficulties and externalizing and internalizing symptoms.
Results
Among the 1000 children included in the analysis (mean [SD] age, 10.8 [3.5] years; 517 [52.6%] boys; 293 [31.6%] American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, or Black individuals or individuals of other race; and 233 [27.8%] Hispanic/Latino individuals), 195 (20.9%) reported at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Children reported a mean (SD) of 3.9 (2.2) d/wk with at least 60 minutes of physical activity and 4.4 (2.5) h/d of recreational screen time. COVID-19 stressors were significantly associated with higher total difficulties for both younger (β coefficient, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.3-0.9) and older (β coefficient, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.0-0.7) groups. After accounting for COVID-19 stressors, engaging in 7 d/wk (vs 0) of physical activity was associated with fewer externalizing symptoms in younger children (β coefficient, -2.0; 95% CI, -3.4 to -0.6). For older children, engaging in 1 to 6 and 7 d/wk (vs 0) of physical activity was associated with lower total difficulties (β coefficients, -3.5 [95% CI, -5.3 to -1.8] and -3.6 [95% CI, -5.8 to -1.4], respectively), fewer externalizing symptoms (β coefficients, -1.5 [95% CI, -2.5 to -0.4] and -1.3 [95% CI, -2.6 to 0], respectively), and fewer internalizing symptoms (β coefficients, -2.1 [95% CI, -3.0 to -1.1] and -2.3 [95% CI, -3.5 to -1.1], respectively). More screen time was correlated with higher total difficulties among younger (β coefficient, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.5) and older (β coefficient, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.6) children. There were no significant differences by sex.
Conclusions and relevance
In this cross-sectional survey study, more physical activity and less screen time were associated with better mental health for children, accounting for pandemic stressors. Children engaged in suboptimal amounts of physical activity and screen time, making this a potentially important target for intervention.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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