title: Effect of Touch Screen Tablet Use on Fine Motor Development of Young Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of touch-screen tablet use on the fine motor development of preschool children without developmental delay.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 children who used a touch-screen tablet more 60 minutes per week for at least 1 month received a 24-week home fine motor activity program using a touch-screen-tablet. 40 children matched for age (mean = 61.0 months) and sex who did not meet the criteria for previous tablet use received a 24-week program consisting of manual play activities. Motor performance was measured using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. The two-factor mixed design ANOVA was used to compare performance of the touch-screen tablet and non-touch-screen tablet groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pretest analysis showed no group differences in motor performance and pinch strength. At posttest, children in the nontouch-screen-tablet group made significantly greater changes in fine motor precision (p < 0.001), fine motor integration (p = 0.008), and manual dexterity (p = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a touch screen tablet extensively might be disadvantageous for the fine motor development of preschool children.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Occupational Therapy , College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan.|b Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ling-Yi
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan.|c Department of Physical Therapy , College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Rong-Ju
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cherng
authors.affiliation: d Department of Pediatrics , College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yung-Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D052581:Pinch Strength / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Touch-screen tablet; child development; fine motor; preschool