The socioecological determinants of screen time among preschoolers with excess weight in Malaysia: a cross sectional study

Introduction: Excessive body weight is a growing concern affecting not only adults but also children, with a strong association between screen time and excessive weight has been reported. Through the application of the socioecological model, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with screen time among the KEMAS preschool children with excess weight in Johor Bahru, Johor. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using multistage cluster random sampling among parent-child dyads from all KEMAS preschools in Johor Bahru. Data was collected in May 2023 using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire distributed to the parents through the teachers. Three levels of analysis were done using IBM SPSS version 28.0. Results: A total of 239 eligible parent-child dyads were sampled, with 84.9% of the children having screen time of more than two hours. Preschoolers with employed parents (AOR=2.362, 95% CI: 1.073-5.200), parental screen time of more than two hours (AOR=3.503, 95% CI: 1.595-7.698), have television at home (AOR=8.054, 95% CI: 2.278-28.478) and presence of handheld devices at home (AOR=6.087, 95% CI: 1.811-20.451) were having 2.36, 3.50,8.05 and 6.09 higher odds towards excess screen time. Conclusion: The study reflects a high prevalence of screen time of more than two hours per day among preschoolers with excess weight, which can be determined by their parental employment status, parental screen time, and types of screen present at home. Future initiatives to limit screen time in preschooler with excess weight should consider these aspects for better outcomes.

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