title: Is time spent playing video games associated with mental health, cognitive and social skills in young children?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Video games are one of the favourite leisure activities of children; the influence on child health is usually perceived to be negative. The present study assessed the association between the amount of time spent playing video games and children mental health as well as cognitive and social skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were drawn from the School Children Mental Health Europe project conducted in six European Union countries (youth ages 6-11, n = 3195). Child mental health was assessed by parents and teachers using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and by children themselves with the Dominic Interactive. Child video game usage was reported by the parents. Teachers evaluated academic functioning. Multivariable logistic regressions were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  20 % of the children played video games more than 5 h per week. Factors associated with time spent playing video games included being a boy, being older, and belonging to a medium size family. Having a less educated, single, inactive, or psychologically distressed mother decreased time spent playing video games. Children living in Western European countries were significantly less likely to have high video game usage (9.66 vs 20.49 %) though this was not homogenous. Once adjusted for child age and gender, number of children, mothers age, marital status, education, employment status, psychological distress, and region, high usage was associated with 1.75 times the odds of high intellectual functioning (95 % CI 1.31-2.33), and 1.88 times the odds of high overall school competence (95 % CI 1.44-2.47). Once controlled for high usage predictors, there were no significant associations with any child self-reported or mother- or teacher-reported mental health problems. High usage was associated with decreases in peer relationship problems [OR 0.41 (0.2-0.86) and in prosocial deficits (0.23 (0.07, 0.81)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Playing video games may have positive effects on young children. Understanding the mechanisms through which video game use may stimulate children should be further investigated.
authors: EHESP, Paris Descartes University, EA 4057, Paris, France. vkovess@gmail.com.|EHESP, rue du Pr Leon Bernard, 35043, Rennes, France. vkovess@gmail.com.
authors: Viviane
authors: V
authors: Kovess-Masfety
authors: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Keyes
authors: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Ava
authors: A
authors: Hamilton
authors: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Gregory
authors: G
authors: Hanson
authors: The Romanian League for Mental Health, Bucharest, Romania.
authors: Adina
authors: A
authors: Bitfoi
authors: Institute of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau (Campus Koblenz), Koblenz, Germany.
authors: Dietmar
authors: D
authors: Golitz
authors: Yeniden Health and Education Society, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Ceren
authors: C
authors: Koç
authors: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Rowella
authors: R
authors: Kuijpers
authors: Clinic of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Vilnius, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors: Sigita
authors: S
authors: Lesinskiene
authors: New Bulgarian University, Sophia, Bulgaria.
authors: Zlatka
authors: Z
authors: Mihova
authors: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Roy
authors: R
authors: Otten
authors: EHESP, Paris Descartes University, EA 4057, Paris, France.
authors: Christophe
authors: C
authors: Fermanian
authors: EHESP, Paris Descartes University, EA 4057, Paris, France.
authors: Ondine
authors: O
authors: Pez
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D066107:Social Skills; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Children; Epidemiology; Gambling; Mental health