Problematic Media Use Measure: Brazilian Adaptation and Correlations

Abstract

In the Brazilian context, excessive media use among children is a significant issue. To assist investigations in this field, the present research is aimed at translating and validating the problematic media use measure (PMUM) in Brazil. The PMUM assesses excessive or problematic media use by children, based on their parents’ perception. The adapted Brazilian Portuguese version of the PMUM was administered online to a total of 401 parents (two studies, 200 and 201 participants, respectively) of children between 5 and 12 years old, from all over Brazil. The results indicated that PMUM presented a single-factor structure similar to the original version, with satisfactory internal consistency and model-fit indices. Furthermore, higher screen media use hours and limited parental control of screen media associated with higher PMUM scores. These results support the use of the PMUM in Brazil and highlight the importance of parenting factors regarding problematic media use in children.