Delivering Anticipatory Guidance About Technology Use to Adolescents in Primary Care: Rates in a Representative California Sample

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate rates of anticipatory guidance about technology use in primary care, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures Guidelines, in a representative sample of California adolescents.

Methods: Adolescents 12-17 years of age were interviewed as part of the California Health Interview Survey, the largest state health surveillance survey in the U.S. Participants who reported seeing a doctor for a physical examination or checkup in the prior year were asked if their doctor had talked to them about technology use.

Results: Overall, 29.7% of the 742 participants reported that their doctor talked to them about technology use. There were no statistically significant differences in rates by age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, or family type.

Conclusions: While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that providers deliver anticipatory guidance about technology use to adolescents in primary care, less than one-third of adolescents surveyed reported having conversations about this topic with their doctor. Given concerns about potential impacts of technology use on adolescent health, medical education should facilitate provider screening and counseling of adolescents about technology use in primary care settings.

Keywords: Adolescent health; Anticipatory guidance; Bright Futures; California Health Interview Survey; Digital devices; Primary care; Technology use.