Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jun:48:101452.
doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101452. Epub 2022 May 21.

Changes and correlates of screen time in adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Mike Trott  1 , Robin Driscoll  1 , Enrico Irlado  1 , Shahina Pardhan  1
Affiliations

Changes and correlates of screen time in adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Mike Trott et al. EClinicalMedicine. 2022 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Screen time has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and several correlates have been associated with these increases. These changes, however, have not been aggregated. It was the aim of this review to (a) aggregate changes in screen time in adults and children, and (b) report on variables in relation to screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A systematic review of major databases was undertaken for studies published from inception to 06/12/2021, using a pre-published protocol (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021261422). Studies reporting (a) screen time pre-versus-during the pandemic, (b) screen time percentage change, or (c) correlates of screen time during the pandemic were included. A random effects meta-analysis was undertaken with subgroup analysis by age group and type of screen time.

Findings: After review, 89 studies (n = 204,734; median age=20·6; median female=53·3%) were included. The majority of studies were cross-sectional. With regards to total screen time, primary aged children (6-10 years) reported largest increases (1·4 hrs/day; 95%CI 1·1-1·7), followed by adults (>18 years; 1·0 hrs/day; 95%CI 0·7-1·2), adolescents (11-17 years; 0·9 hrs/day; 95%CI 0·3-1·5), and young children (0-5 years; 0·6 hrs/day 95%CI 0·3-0·9 hrs/day). For leisure screen time (non-work/non-academic), primary aged children reported largest increases (1·0 hrs/day 95%CI 0·8-1·3), followed by adults (0·7hr/day 95%CI 0·3-1·2), young children (0·6 hrs/day; 95%CI 0·4-0·8), with adolescents reporting the lowest increase (0·5 hrs/day 95%CI 0·3-0·7). Several correlates were associated with reported increases in screen time, including adverse dietary behaviours, sleep, mental health, parental health, and eye health.

Interpretation: Pooled evidence suggest that primary aged children reported the highest increase in both total and leisure screen time during COVID-19. It is recommended that screen time should be reduced in favour of non-sedentary activities. This study has the potential to inform public health policy and future guidance regarding screen time, and to inform future research in this area.

Funding: No funding was received for this study.

Keywords: Adults; Children; Covid-19; Review; Screentime.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None to report.

Figures

Fig 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram of study selection. Caption: PRISMA flow diagram showing the process of study selection. ERIC= Education Resources Information Centre.
Fig 2
Figure 2
Forest plot showing pooled changes in any type of screentime from before the COVID-19 pandemic, stratified by adults or children. Caption: Units=hrs/day; Error bars= 95% confidence interval; Solid boxes = individual study point estimates; Clear box = Pooled point estimates.
Fig 3
Figure 3
Forest plot showing pooled changes in any type of screentime from before the COVID-19 pandemic in children, stratified by age group. Caption: Units=hrs/day; Error bars= 95% confidence interval; Solid boxes = individual study point estimates; Clear box = Pooled point estimates.
Fig 4
Figure 4
Forest plot showing pooled changes in leisure screentime from before the COVID-19 pandemic in children, stratified by age group. Caption: Units=hrs/day; Error bars= 95% confidence interval; Solid boxes = individual study point estimates; Clear box = Pooled point estimates.
Fig 5
Figure 5
Percent changes in screentime in adults. Caption: Error bars show 95% confidence intervals.
Fig 6
Figure 6
Percent changes in screentime in children Caption: Error bars show 95% confidence intervals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. World Health Organization. WHO Coronovirus Didease (COVID-19) Dashboard. Accessed July 2, 2020. https://covid19.who.int
    1. British Broadcasting Corporation. Coronavirus: the world in lockdown in maps and charts. Published 2020. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52103747
    1. Tremblay M.S., LeBlanc A.G., Kho M.E., et al. Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011;8(1):98. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Stockwell S., Trott M., Tully M., et al. Changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviours from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: a systematic review. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2021;7(1) - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nagata J.M., Magid H.S.A., Gabriel K.P. Screen time for children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Obes Silver Spring Md. 2020 Published online. - PMC - PubMed