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. 2025 Mar 28;17(3):e81348.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.81348. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Association Between Screen Time, Dietary Patterns, and Oral Health Among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Austin Robin  1 , Vaishnavi Padmanabhan  2 , Kavitha Swaminathan  2 , Vignesh Kc  2 , Vivek K  3 , Selvakumar Haridoss  2
Affiliations

Association Between Screen Time, Dietary Patterns, and Oral Health Among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Austin Robin et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction: Screen time refers to the duration spent on digital devices, including televisions, computers, and mobile devices. Increased screen exposure among children raises concerns about its psychological, physical, and social health effects. Excessive screen time has been linked to poor dietary habits, reduced physical activity, and oral health issues such as dental caries. However, the association between screen time, dietary patterns, and oral health remains inadequately explored.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the association between screen time and children's dietary patterns, oral hygiene practices, and oral health status.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a hospital-based setting in the Departments of Pediatric & Preventive Dentistry and Pediatrics over two months (December 2023-January 2024). A total of 353 children aged 6-13 years were recruited using convenience sampling. Screen time data were collected through parental interviews, while oral health status was assessed using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System II (ICDAS II) index. Dietary patterns were evaluated using a seven-day dietary recall. Data were analyzed using SPSS v23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05.

Results: Among the 353 participants, 187 (53.0%) were female. Nearly 66 (18.7%) children exceeded two hours of screen time per day on weekdays, while 276 (78.2%) exceeded this threshold on weekends. Only 60 (17.0%) reported brushing twice daily. The mean number of non-cavitated carious lesions was 0.7, while cavitated carious lesions averaged 3.8. Children who frequently watched screens while eating consumed approximately 22% of their meals in front of a screen. A statistically significant correlation was found between cavitated carious lesions and screen-related eating habits (p < 0.05), though the correlation coefficients were low.

Conclusion: The study identified a significant increase in screen time during weekends compared to weekdays. Higher screen use was associated with a greater number of cavitated carious lesions and total caries. Additionally, frequent screen use during meals was linked to unhealthy dietary patterns. Our findings highlight the importance of parental monitoring and structured screen time limits to encourage healthier dietary habits and improved oral hygiene among children.

Keywords: dental caries; dietary habits in children; pediatric oral health; screen time and children; sedentary behavior and oral health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Ethics committee for students projects, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research issued approval CSP/23/SEP/136/837. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Short-Term Studentship (STS) program financially supported this research under Reference No. 2023-07068. This support was instrumental in facilitating data collection, analysis, and completion of the study. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Screen time distribution on weekdays versus weekends
This bar chart illustrates the percentage of children with screen time less than or greater than two hours on weekdays and weekends. The data shows a significant increase in screen time on non-working days.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Correlation between total screen time and cavitated carious lesions
This scatter plot displays the relationship between total screen time per week (in hours) and the mean number of cavitated carious lesions. The trend suggests a positive correlation between increased screen time and cavitated caries prevalence.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Eating habits and caries risk: meals consumed in front of screens
This bar chart compares the mean number of cavitated carious lesions among children categorized based on the number of meals consumed while watching screens per week. The data indicate a significant association between frequent screen time eating and higher caries prevalence.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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