Screen Exposure and Developmental Outcomes among Children Aged 2-24 Months Old in Ismailia, Egypt: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Prolonged screen exposure negatively impacts early childhood development. Risks associated with screen exposure in children are classified into developmental, psychosocial, and physical categories.
Aim: This study aimed to estimate the extent of screen exposure among children aged 2-24 months, identify the possible risk factors of screen exposure, and examine the health effect of screen exposure on their development.
Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Ismailia city's Primary Health Care Units (PHCUs) using a multistage random sample to gather data from mothers of children aged 2-24 months (n=310). Interview questionnaire collected family and child socio-demographic information, screen exposure assessment, and child developmental milestones using the Arabic Ages and Stages version.
Results: The study showed that only 9.7% of the studied children were meeting the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines of zero screens before two years old. Television (TV) viewing was the most popular (96.4%) among children, followed by smartphones (52.1%). A significant negative association was found between children’s screen exposure time and their development in communication (r= -0.493, p <0.001), fine motor (r= -0.223, p <0.001), problem-solving (r= -0.226, p <0.001), and social domains (r= -0.146, p <0.001).
Conclusions: Screen exposure was highly prevalent and negatively linked to developmental outcomes among children under two years of age in Egypt. Establishing healthy screen time limits and encouraging diverse activities are crucial for balanced development.