Family meal environment differentially conditions the prospective association between early childhood screen time and key social relationships in adolescent girls
Article [Version publiée]
Résumé·s
Background: Despite screen time recommendations, children are increasingly spending time
on electronic devices, rendering it an important risk factor for subsequent social and developmental
outcomes. Sharing meals could offer a way to promote psychosocial development. This study
examines the interaction between family meal environment and early childhood screen time on
key adolescent social relationships. Methods: Participants are 1455 millennial children (49% boys)
from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort. Parents reported on child
screen use at ages 2 and 6 years and family meal environment quality at age 6 years. Parents and
children reported on parent–child relationships and peer victimization experiences, respectively,
at age 13 years. Sex-stratified multiple regression estimated the direct association between screen
time trends, family meal environment quality, and their interaction on later social relationship
outcomes. Results: For girls, when preschool screen time increased, sharing family meals in highquality environments was associated with more positive and less conflictual relationships with their
mothers, whereas meals shared in low- and moderate-quality environments were associated with
fewer instances of victimization by their peers. Non-linear associations were not significant for boys.
Conclusion: Capitalizing on family meal environment represents a simple/cost-efficient activity that
can compensate for some long-term risks associated with increased screen use, above and beyond
pre-existing and concurrent individual and family characteristics. Public health initiatives may benefit
from considering family meals as a complementary intervention strategy to screen use guidelines.