Longitudinal associations between maternal and child screen use at 1 year of age and child behavior and development at 3 years of age.

BACKGROUND: Young children are increasingly exposed to evolving screen technology. International guidelines recommend no screen use for children under the age of 2 years, due to the potential for detrimental effects on behaviour and development. However, evidence for these guidelines is limited by inadequate consideration of device-specific effects (TV and mobile phone/tablet computer), maternal screen use, confounders such as maternal mental health and importance of effect sizes. Our aim was to investigate longitudinal associations of device-specific maternal and child technology use and covariates (including maternal mental health) with behavioural and developmental outcomes, to guide adults on screen use behaviours by and with their children. METHODS: Participants were part of a large birth cohort (The ORIGINS Project). Measures of mother and child screen use (TechU-Q) at child's 1 year of age and child behaviour and development (Connors Early Childhood) at 3 years of age were used. Demographic data and covariates were obtained antenatally and at 1 year post-birth. Data was extracted in March 2023 for the n = 887 who had completed the Conners EC by this date. Covariates included maternal age, child sex, number of children in the household, maternal education, socioeconomic status, and maternal mental health. To examine associations of screen use and confounding variables with Conners EC t scores, univariable regression and multivariable regression was used. Differences in median Conners EC t scores between the 1st and 4th quartiles of maternal and child screen use were assessed using the Mann Whitney U test. RESULTS: Maternal and child screen use was inconsistently and weakly associated with behavioural outcomes, whilst poorer maternal mental health was consistently and moderately associated with poorer behavioural outcomes. Maternal and child screen use was inconsistently and weakly associated with developmental outcomes, whilst maternal mental health was not associated with developmental outcomes. There were differences between TV and mobile/tablet use associations with behavioural and developmental outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal and child screen use at 1 year of age appear only weakly related with child behaviour and development at 3 years of age. Maternal mental health is likely to have a more clinically meaningful relationship with child behaviour, but not development.