Screen time among kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (including a comparison of First Nations and non-Indigenous children)
Abstract Background Australian First Nations children have poorer outcomes across a range of health measures. High levels of screen time are associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. Gaps remain in our knowledge on the association between screen time and health outcomes for different demog...
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2025-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21611-z |
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| author | Kathleen O’Brien Clair Bannerman Karen Ciszek Kirsty A Douglas |
| author_facet | Kathleen O’Brien Clair Bannerman Karen Ciszek Kirsty A Douglas |
| author_sort | Kathleen O’Brien |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Australian First Nations children have poorer outcomes across a range of health measures. High levels of screen time are associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. Gaps remain in our knowledge on the association between screen time and health outcomes for different demographic groups, including First Nations children. We aimed to describe the screen time behaviours of First Nations and non-Indigenous kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and identify any associated disparities in key health outcomes. Methods 5,516 children participated in the cross-sectional population-based ACT Kindergarten Health Check (KHC) survey, including 146 First Nations children. The association between screen time of more than two hours per day and health outcomes (body mass index, respiratory health, development and wellbeing) was assessed for both First Nations and non-Indigenous cohorts using comparative statistics. Results Non-Indigenous children who had an average of more than two hours of screen time per day were 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3–1.7) times more likely to be overweight/obese, 1.2 (95% CI, 1.0-1.4) times more likely to have had a wheeze/whistle in their chest in the 12 months before the KHC, 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3–1.7) times more likely to have developmental concerns and 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3–1.8) times more likely to have reduced wellbeing measures compared to non-Indigenous children with screen time of two hours or less per day. None of these associations were statistically significant amongst First Nations children. Conclusions Screen time of more than two hours per day is associated adverse health outcomes in non-Indigenous children, including overweight/obesity, respiratory problems, developmental concerns, and reduced wellbeing. Further analysis is required to enable a more robust assessment of the effect of screen time on health outcomes for First Nations children. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b757a833c10b48a4834424d5468bb1cc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-b757a833c10b48a4834424d5468bb1cc2025-02-09T12:57:51ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-02-0125111010.1186/s12889-025-21611-zScreen time among kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (including a comparison of First Nations and non-Indigenous children)Kathleen O’Brien0Clair Bannerman1Karen Ciszek2Kirsty A Douglas3School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National UniversitySchool of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National UniversityOffice of General Practice and Primary Care, ACT HealthSchool of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National UniversityAbstract Background Australian First Nations children have poorer outcomes across a range of health measures. High levels of screen time are associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. Gaps remain in our knowledge on the association between screen time and health outcomes for different demographic groups, including First Nations children. We aimed to describe the screen time behaviours of First Nations and non-Indigenous kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and identify any associated disparities in key health outcomes. Methods 5,516 children participated in the cross-sectional population-based ACT Kindergarten Health Check (KHC) survey, including 146 First Nations children. The association between screen time of more than two hours per day and health outcomes (body mass index, respiratory health, development and wellbeing) was assessed for both First Nations and non-Indigenous cohorts using comparative statistics. Results Non-Indigenous children who had an average of more than two hours of screen time per day were 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3–1.7) times more likely to be overweight/obese, 1.2 (95% CI, 1.0-1.4) times more likely to have had a wheeze/whistle in their chest in the 12 months before the KHC, 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3–1.7) times more likely to have developmental concerns and 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3–1.8) times more likely to have reduced wellbeing measures compared to non-Indigenous children with screen time of two hours or less per day. None of these associations were statistically significant amongst First Nations children. Conclusions Screen time of more than two hours per day is associated adverse health outcomes in non-Indigenous children, including overweight/obesity, respiratory problems, developmental concerns, and reduced wellbeing. Further analysis is required to enable a more robust assessment of the effect of screen time on health outcomes for First Nations children.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21611-zChild healthIndigenous peoplesSedentary behaviourScreen timeSocial determinants of health |
| spellingShingle | Kathleen O’Brien Clair Bannerman Karen Ciszek Kirsty A Douglas Screen time among kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (including a comparison of First Nations and non-Indigenous children) BMC Public Health Child health Indigenous peoples Sedentary behaviour Screen time Social determinants of health |
| title | Screen time among kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (including a comparison of First Nations and non-Indigenous children) |
| title_full | Screen time among kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (including a comparison of First Nations and non-Indigenous children) |
| title_fullStr | Screen time among kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (including a comparison of First Nations and non-Indigenous children) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Screen time among kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (including a comparison of First Nations and non-Indigenous children) |
| title_short | Screen time among kindergarten children in the Australian Capital Territory (including a comparison of First Nations and non-Indigenous children) |
| title_sort | screen time among kindergarten children in the australian capital territory including a comparison of first nations and non indigenous children |
| topic | Child health Indigenous peoples Sedentary behaviour Screen time Social determinants of health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21611-z |
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