Screen-viewing abuse impact on mental development

Objective: the present study examines anthropometric measurements, mental development and social skills in children exposed to screen-viewing (television, video games, computer).

Methods: one hundred and thirty interviews were addressed to children aged 5 to 10 years. Information about gender, age, family, screen-viewing time, sport-practicing time, anthropometric measurements, responsibility punctuation, sociability punctuation and Goodenough’s test (as estimation of intelligence quotient) was collected.

Results: multiple regression models showed a statistically significant association between body mass index (BMI) and television and video viewing time (B = 0.06; p = 0.05) and between BMI and computer and videogame use time (B = 0.34; p < 0.01), as well as between estimated intelligence quotient and computer and video game use time (B = -1.67; p = 0.02).

Conclusions: screen-viewing abuse is associated with a higher risk of overweight. Electronic games abuse is associated with a lower intelligence quotient. Wide strategies to warn families about these risks are needed.