Screen time, mealtime media use, and dietary behaviors in Korean preschoolers: a cross-sectional study

Objectives: Screen time refers to the time spent using screen media, such as televisions, smartphones, computers, or tablets. Excessive exposure to screen media has been reported to negatively impact young children's health and development, including overweight, short sleep duration, and language delays. This study examined the association of screen time and mealtime media use with dietary behaviors among preschool children. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on parents of children aged three to five years using the online questionnaires of the Nutrition Quotient for Preschoolers (NQ-P) and the Dietary Screening Test (DST). Data from 261 children's parents were analyzed. Results: less frequently and confectionery and sugar-sweetened beverages more frequently than children who used less than two hours and were not exposed to screen media during meals. In addition, they were more likely to be picky about food, refuse to eat, and less likely to feed themselves than children with shorter screen time and no mealtime media use. Conclusions: This study reported an association between unhealthy dietary behaviors, feeding difficulties, and screen time and mealtime media use among preschool children. Further research should explore effective strategies for reducing children's screen time.