Problematic Media Use Among Children in an Earthquake-Affected Setting: Associations with Parental Media Habits, Sociodemographic Factors, and Household Adversities: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: This study examined problematic media use among children living in earthquake-affected and comparison settings and its associations with family digital practices, sociodemographic characteristics, and parent-, family-, and household-level earthquake-related adversities. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 564 parents of children aged 4 to 11 years from both earthquake-affected and non-affected regions. The study was conducted in the provinces of Adıyaman and Bitlis in Türkiye; while Adıyaman was affected by the 2023 Türkiye–Syria earthquake, Bitlis remained unaffected. The Problematic Media Use Measure (PMUM) assessed children’s media behaviors. Results: Earthquake-related analyses were restricted to the Adıyaman subsample (n = 323). In the primary adjusted continuous-count model, each additional reported adversity was associated with a 5.47-point higher PMUM total score (B = 5.473, 95% CI: 2.986 to 7.961; p < 0.001). However, the adjusted categorical model did not demonstrate a consistently graded pattern across adversity levels; only participants reporting all four adversities had significantly higher PMUM scores than those reporting none (B = 38.31, 95% CI: 24.24 to 52.38; p < 0.001). After excluding this small subgroup (n = 18), the continuous-count association was attenuated but remained statistically significant (B = 2.94, 95% CI: 0.23 to 5.65; p = 0.034). In the individual-indicator model, the responding parent’s experience of being trapped under debris was associated with a higher PMUM total score (B = 45.61, 95% CI: 36.22 to 54.99; p < 0.001), whereas the other earthquake-related indicators were not independently associated with PMUM scores. Older child age, male sex, and longer maternal and child digital device use were also associated with higher PMUM scores. Conclusions: Within the Adıyaman subsample, the association between the number of reported earthquake-related adversities and PMUM scores was influenced by the small subgroup reporting all four adversities but persisted at a reduced magnitude after their exclusion. The categorical analysis did not support a uniform graded relationship, while the individual-indicator analysis identified the responding parent’s experience of being trapped under debris as the strongest independent earthquake-related correlate. These findings concern parent-, family-, and household-level adversities and should not be interpreted as evidence of the child’s direct traumatic exposure or as establishing causality.