Relationship between screen-time and motor skills in preschool children

Abstract

Introduction: Screen-time as the amount of time spent on screens per day. This is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a potential problem for cognitive and motor development of children. Study results suggest that prolonged screen-time can cause deterioration of social and emotional skills, poor sleep quality, obesity and poor development of language and speech skills. Methods: The aim of this article is to determine the correlation between screen-time and motor skills in a population of 262 preschool children aged 5 and 6 years. The children in the sample were divided into groups depending on how much time they spent in front of the screens. The primary measurement instrument used for the study was the “Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition” (BOT-2) test to assess motor skills and abilities for persons at age from 4 to 21 years. The time the child spends in front of the screens is determined by the “Netherlands physical activity questionnaire” Results: Parents stated through questionnaire that preschool children at that age spend 137,93 ± 71,16 minutes a day in front of screens, which is more than the recommended value of the World Health Organization (WHO). In this study children who spent more time in front of screens had worse results in BOT-2 motor test. It did not find a significant correlation between screen time and motor skills of children. Weak correlation was observed in manipulative abilities (dropping and catching the ball with both hands) and strength tests (knee push-ups and sit ups). Discussion/Conclusions: Children spend more time in front of screens than recommended by experts. Research shows that more time in front of screens can negatively affect cognitive and motor development. It would be advisable to perform a longitudinal study to determine the negative, and even possible positive consequences of screen-time development.