title: Screen time of infants in Sydney, Australia: a birth cohort study.
abstract: To determine the amount of daily screen time in children 18 months of age and ascertain correlations that may be contributing to excessive screen use.
  
  
  
  A birth cohort was followed with telephone interviews at 6, 12 and 18 months of age. Information about screen time was collected at 18 months.
  
  
  
  Parents were recruited from postnatal wards of 2 major public hospitals and at home visits conducted for new mothers within 4 weeks of birth in South Western Sydney (SWS).
  
  
  
  Parents of 500 children with infants 18 months of age residing in SWS.
  
  
  
  Screen time in infants 18 months of age and associated correlations.
  
  
  
  A large percentage of children 18 months of age (40%) had screen times >2 hours daily. There were significant associations between more than 2 hours of screen time daily and mothers without a partner (OR 4.32 (95% CI 1.67 to 11.15)); having <3 siblings (no siblings: OR 2.44 (95% CI 1.20 to 4.94); 1-2 siblings: OR 2.08 (95% CI 1.06 to 4.08)); an employed father (OR 1.96 (95% CI 1.09 to 3.52)); no outdoor equipment at home (OR 1.89 (95% CI 1.08 to 3.34)) and fewer than 5 outings per week (OR 2.08 (95% CI 1.37 to 3.17)).
  
  
  
  There is emerging evidence that excess screen time in children causes adverse cognitive, developmental and health outcomes. This study has shown that a large proportion of very young children residing in SWS have screen exposures for >2 hours per day. Factors contributing to excess screen time have also been identified in this study; however, a greater understanding of risk factors needs to be ascertained in order to facilitate greater public health efforts to reduce screen exposure.
authors: Department of Community Paediatrics, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Meena
authors: M
authors: Chandra
authors: Epidemiology Group, Healthy People and Places Unit, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.|Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.|School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Jalaludin
authors: Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.|University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Woolfenden
authors: Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.|South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Descallar
authors: Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry South Western Sydney Local Health District (AUCS), Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.|School of Psychiatry & Ingham Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Nicholls
authors: Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Cheryl
authors: C
authors: Dissanayake
authors: Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Developmental Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Australia.|Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Australia.
authors: Katrina
authors: K
authors: Williams
authors: NSW Kids and Families, NSW Ministry of Health, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Elisabeth
authors: E
authors: Murphy
authors: University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry South Western Sydney Local Health District (AUCS), Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Amelia
authors: A
authors: Walter
authors: Department of Community Paediatrics, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.|Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Eastwood
authors: Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.|Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry South Western Sydney Local Health District (AUCS), Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.|School of Psychiatry & Ingham Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Valsamma
authors: V
authors: Eapen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D013690:Television; D018910:Video Games
keywords: PUBLIC HEALTH; STATISTICS & RESEARCH METHODS