Recreational screen time behaviour among ambulatory children and adolescents diagnosed with cerebral palsy: A cross-sectional analysis

Aim

To describe the recreational screen time behaviour of 8–16-year-olds diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) and explore associations between health-related quality of life, sleep duration and physical activity behaviour versus screen time.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used proxy-reported questionnaire data of 381 ambulatory (with or without assistance) 8–16-year-olds diagnosed with CP corresponding to Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I–III. Descriptive statistics were used to report age, sex and the GMFCS level. The potential associations of health-related quality of life, physical activity behaviour and sleep duration (dependent variables) versus screen time (independent variable) were determined using multiple linear regression. Health-related quality of life was evaluated using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, including seven dimensions: Daily Activities; School Activities; Movement and Balance; Pain and Hurt; Fatigue; Eating Activities; and Speech and Communication.

Results

The participants spent a median screen time of 3.9 h daily. The boys spent a longer screen time during weekends than the girls (p = 0.003). Boys spent more time on games (p < 0.001), whereas girls spent more time on social media and video calls (p < 0.001). Increasing age (p < 0.001) was associated with increased screen time but did not differ between the GMFCS levels. Sleep duration, perceived fatigue and perceived movement and balance correlated negatively with screen time.

Conclusion

This study sheds light on the recreational screen time habits of ambulatory children and adolescents diagnosed with CP. Further investigation into the observed associations is warranted to investigate potential causation and relationships between sleep behaviour, quality of life and screen time behaviour.