Characterizing Changes in Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic School Closures in Canada and Its Perceived Impact on Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autor:	Cardy RE; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada., Dupuis A; Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada., Anagnostou E; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.; Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada., Ziolkowski J; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada., Biddiss EA; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada., Monga S; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada., Brian J; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.; Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada., Penner M; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.; Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada., Kushki A; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Frontiers in psychiatry [Front Psychiatry] 2021 Aug 18; Vol. 12, pp. 702774. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Aug 18 (Print Publication: 2021).
DOI:	10.3389/fpsyt.2021.702774
Abstrakt:	The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in screen time for children and families. Traditionally, screen time has been associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes, and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased risk of these outcomes. The primary objectives of this study were to (1) characterize the change in screen time during COVID-19 school closures for children with ASD, and (2) examine the parent perceived impact of screen time on mental health and quality of life of children and their families. Canadian parents and caregivers of children 19 years of age and younger were eligible to participate in an anonymous, online survey study. This survey was available in English, consisted of 28 questions, took ~10-min to complete, and was available for 6 weeks (May 22 through July 6, 2020). The total sample consisted of 414 responses (ASD: n = 127, mean age = 11.7 ± 4.06 years; community sample: n = 287, mean age = 9.4 ± 4.26 years). Seventy-one respondents were missing responses to our primary question and removed from the analyses (final sample n = 344). Compared to the community sample, the ASD group had a significantly higher screen time use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic school closures [weekdays: difference = 1.14 (SE = 0.18), t = 6.56, p < 0.0001; weekends: difference = 1.41 (SE = 0.20), t = 6.93, p < 0.0001]. Mean total screen time during the pandemic was 6.9 h (95% CI 6.49, 7.21) on weekdays and 6.3 h (95% CI 5.91, 6.63) on weekends for the ASD group, and 5.6 h (95% CI 5.28, 5.92) on weekdays and 5.0 h (95% CI 4.70, 5.34) on weekends for the community sample. There was a significant increase in screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to before the pandemic period in the ASD group [weekdays: mean difference = 3.8 h (95% CI 3.35-4.25), p < 0.0001; weekends: mean difference = 1.5 h (95% CI 1.17-1.92), p < 0.0001]. Gender was a significant predictor of parent perceived mental health and quality of life, with male gender associated with a higher likelihood of negative impact [quality of life (child/family) OR = 1.8 (95% CI 1.1-2.9), corrected p = 0.040; mental health OR = 1.9 (95% CI 1.1-3.1), corrected p = 0.0028]. Parents' most frequently endorsed emotions toward screen time were guilt, frustration, and worry. Results of this survey study revealed that children with ASD were less likely to benefit from screen time to cope with social isolation, and screen time resulted in significantly more lost time on social interactions than the community sample, which may exacerbate difficulties in social domains. Given the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and the novel context of technology use, the findings of this study highlight the need for revision of screen time recommendations to reflect the current needs of children and families. Competing Interests: AK reports personal fees from Shaftesbury outside the submitted work. In addition, AK has a patent US 9,844,332 B2 with royalties paid to Awake Labs and a patent US 16/276,208 pending to Awake Labs. AK is the inventor of a software called the Anxiety Meter. She is involved in commercializing the Anxiety Meter and will financially benefit from its sales. AK served on the board of advisors for Shaftesbury, a media company developing virtual reality products for children with ASD, from February 2020–February 2021, and was compensated financially for this role. SM receives royalties from Springer for her book, Assessing and Treating Anxiety Disorders in Young Children. EA reports grants from Roche, personal fees from Roche, personal fees from Quadrant, personal fees from Wiley, book royalties from Springer, book royalties from APPI, and non-financial support from AMO Pharma outside the submitted work. In addition, EA has a patent US 9,844,332 B2 with royalties paid to Awake Labs. EA holds a patent on the software called the Anxiety Meter; the Anxiety Meter is being commercialized and she will financially benefit from its sales. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. (Copyright © 2021 Cardy, Dupuis, Anagnostou, Ziolkowski, Biddiss, Monga, Brian, Penner and Kushki.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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