Predicting factors of excessive smartphone use of Thai preschool children as perceived by family caregivers

Abstract

The purpose of this correlation-prediction study is to examine the predictability of parental screen time, attitudes, mediation, household chaos, and socioeconomic status on excessive smartphone use among preschoolers, based on the Interactional Theory of Childhood Problematic Media Use (IT-CPU) by Domoff et al. (2020). The study included 647 family caregivers of preschool children from Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, and Nakorn Sri Thammarat provinces, selected using multi-stage sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire which contained six parts: Demographic data; Parental Screen Time; Parent Attitudes; Parental Mediation; Home Chaos Environment; and SCREENS-Q. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rank correlation, and binary logistic regression. The results revealed that educational level, average family income, occupational status, parental screen time on weekdays and weekends, parent mediation, and affective attitude showed mild to moderate positive associations with excessive smartphone use in preschool children, with significance (p < .05). However, behavioral attitudes exhibited a mild negative correlation with excessive smartphone use among preschoolers (p < .05). In addition, household chaos showed no relationship with excessive smartphone use. At a 95% CI interval, the final model showed that the remaining significant predictors included: education (OR = 1.151, p < .014), parental screen time on weekdays (OR = .997, p < .029), parental screen time on weekends (OR = 1.004, p < .042), and affective attitude (OR = 1.063, p < .015). The model predictability was 56.10%. This study can guide the design of further studies to explore additional factors related to excessive smartphone use in preschoolers. Additionally, the results can inform pediatric and community nursing interventions aimed at preventing excessive smartphone use and potential smartphone addiction among preschoolers.