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Meta-Analysis
. 2025 Jul;51(4):e70136.
doi: 10.1111/cch.70136.

Screen Time Among and Youth Children With Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Leigh M Vanderloo  1   2 , Matthew Bourke  3 , Leah G Taylor  1 , Sophie M Phillips  1 , Aidan Loh  4 , Katerina Disimino  5 , Rebecca L Bassett-Gunter  5   6 , Tyler Koo  7 , Molly Thompson-Hill  8 , Patricia Tucker  1   9
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Screen Time Among and Youth Children With Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Leigh M Vanderloo et al. Child Care Health Dev. 2025 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: This paper aimed to review and synthesize screen time research among children and youth with disabilities.

Methods: Seven online databases were searched, and a machine learning-assisted systematic review model was used to identify relevant studies. English and French papers reporting on screen time among children and youth with a disability were eligible. Extracted data were synthesized by participant age, followed by type of screen time reporting. Meta-analyses were conducted to estimate daily screen time and adherence to screen time guidelines using random effects meta-analysis.

Results: Eighty-one studies were included. Screen time ranged from 0.5 to 7.27 h/day and varied widely based on disability type. Pooled average screen time was 3.70, 3.28 and 3.39 h/day for children and youth with ASD, ADHD and CP, respectively.

Conclusion: Screen use is prominent among children and youth with disabilities. Limiting screen time in this group is critical in preventing numerous related consequences of excessive, prolonged use.

Policy implications: Interventions targeting children and youth with disabilities are needed to decrease excessive screen time among this population and to inform future public health policy and setting-specific practice.

Keywords: computer; paediatrics; screen use; sedentary behaviour; youth.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA flow chart.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Publications per geographic region.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
(a) Screen time in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. (b) Screen time in children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. (c) Screen time in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Proportion of children and adolescents with ASD achieving the screen time guidelines.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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