title: Parenting style, the home environment, and screen time of 5-year-old children; the 'be active, eat right' study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The global increase in childhood overweight and obesity has been ascribed partly to increases in children's screen time. Parents have a large influence on their children's screen time. Studies investigating parenting and early childhood screen time are limited. In this study, we investigated associations of parenting style and the social and physical home environment on watching TV and using computers or game consoles among 5-year-old children.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study uses baseline data concerning 5-year-old children (n = 3067) collected for the 'Be active, eat right' study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children of parents with a higher score on the parenting style dimension involvement, were more likely to spend >30 min/day on computers or game consoles. Overall, families with an authoritative or authoritarian parenting style had lower percentages of children's screen time compared to families with an indulgent or neglectful style, but no significant difference in OR was found. In families with rules about screen time, children were less likely to watch TV>2 hrs/day and more likely to spend >30 min/day on computers or game consoles. The number of TVs and computers or game consoles in the household was positively associated with screen time, and children with a TV or computer or game console in their bedroom were more likely to watch TV>2 hrs/day or spend >30 min/day on computers or game consoles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The magnitude of the association between parenting style and screen time of 5-year-olds was found to be relatively modest. The associations found between the social and physical environment and children's screen time are independent of parenting style. Interventions to reduce children's screen time might be most effective when they support parents specifically with introducing family rules related to screen time and prevent the presence of a TV or computer or game console in the child's room.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lydian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Veldhuis
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Grieken
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carry M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Renders
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Remy A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hirasing
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raat
mesh_terms: D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003201:Computers; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000517:prevention & control; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012923:Social Class; D013690:Television; D018910:Video Games