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. 2021 Jan-Feb:56:24-29.
doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2020.10.002. Epub 2020 Oct 5.

Relationship Between Parenting Practices and Children's Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey

Aslihan Ozturk Eyimaya  1 , Aylin Yalçin Irmak  2
Affiliations

Relationship Between Parenting Practices and Children's Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey

Aslihan Ozturk Eyimaya et al. J Pediatr Nurs. 2021 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between parenting practices and children's screen time following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Design and methods: The population of the present cross-sectional study was the parents of children studying in three randomly-selected schools in the western, eastern and central regions of Turkey. The study data were collected between May 15 and 31, 2020, using a descriptive questionnaire form and the Parenting Practices Scale applied to 1115 parents of children between 6 and 13 years of age. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 software package, and with descriptive, correlation and multiple regression analyses.

Results: It was noted that 68% of the mothers did not work, and 40.2% of the fathers had shifted to a flexible work arrangement as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study revealed that 89.6% of the families had established ground rules related to screen time, and that the screen time of the children of 71.7% of the families had seen an increase, amounting to 6.42 ± 3.07 h/day. Gender, age, household income, mother's employment status, family's rules about screen time, and inconsistent parenting practices were defined as significant predictors in the children's screen time model created for the study.

Conclusions: A vast majority of the participants stated that their children's screen time had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Practice implications: Screen time should be monitored, the necessary support should be provided to children, and parents should set ground rules for their children's screen times.

Keywords: COVID-19; Children; Parenting practices; Quarantine; Screen time.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest Authors declare no competing interests.

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