Knowledge Gaps about Screen Exposure Guidelines for Children: A Comparison between mothers and antenatal women

Abstract

Excess screen time is an emerging hazard to physical and mental well-being of children. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to assess and compare knowledge regarding screen exposure guidelines among 100 mothers and 150 primigravida antenatal women (AW) using a questionnaire framed based on the Indian Academy of Paediatrics parental guidelines. Only 16% of mothers and none among the AW exhibited good knowledge while 48% of mothers and 79.3% of AW demonstrated poor knowledge (p = .01). Mothers showed higher awareness regarding the minimum permissible age to introduce social media platforms, whereas AW exhibited a higher knowledge regarding ill effects of excess screen use on mental health and physical ill effects like obesity. Women from both groups were unaware of the minimal permissible age to introduce screens and the signs of mobile phone addiction. This emphasizes the need for targeted educational intervention for mothers and AW to promote healthy screen habits among children.