Missing class increases the daily frequency of screen use among schoolchildren

We analyzed the association between school attendance and the daily frequency of use of different forms of screens (TV, computer, cell phone and videogame) among children and adolescents. Longitudinal study with four repeated measures during the 2015 school year. Children and adolescents from a public school participated in the study (n = 463, 53.6% boys; 9.3 ± 1.3 years old). The daily frequency of screen use was the outcome analyzed, which was reported on an online questionnaire for the previous-day recall, illustrated with 32 icons of activities including 4 types of electronic devices. The participant answered “What did you do yesterday?” in the morning, afternoon, and night. School attendance was assessed by responding to the item “Did you go to school yesterday?”. The analysis was conducted using generalized estimation equations, with adjustment by sex, age, BMI z-scores, and season of the year. The average percentage of absences during the follow-up was 28.7%. The use of screens was 13% higher among students who missed class. Playing a video game was 37% higher among students who missed class. The daily frequency of screen use was 26% higher among adolescents (10-12 years) compared to children (7-9 years), especially in the analysis performed individually for TV and cell phone. The daily frequency of screen use and watching TV among students who missed classes during the winter was, respectively, 24% (IRR = 1.24; 95%CI = 1.11 - 1.39) and 35% (IRR = 1.35; 95%CI = 1.10 - 1.66) higher compared to those who missed classes during the fall. In conclusion, the use of screens predominated among students who missed class, mainly in winter.