Abstract
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Excessive screen media usage among children, combined with inappropriate parenting styles, can negatively affect child development. Research suggests that early screen exposure is associated with lower cognitive abilities, impaired sensorimotor and language development, and diminished academic performance in later years. Positive parenting plays a crucial role in fostering early cognitive growth, emotional stability, and intellectual maturation. However, the relationship between excessive screen time, negative parenting styles, and delayed child development remains underexplored in the Thai context. This study aimed at examining the association between excessive screen time, parenting styles, and child development in a sub district of Ubonrattana district, Khon Kaen province. Conducted as part of a field study by third-year medical students from Ramathibodi hospital during the 2025 academic year, census data were collected from 32 children aged 0–6 years via face-to-face interviews and the child development assessments using the Developmental Surveillance and Promotion Manual (DSPM) developed by the ministry of public health of Thailand and the National Health Security Office (NSHO). Parenting styles were categorized into three types: Permissive, authoritative, and authoritarian. The study, conducted in January 2025, received permission from the Ubonrattana community hospital and the faculty of medicine at Ramathibodi hospital. Results revealed that 12.5% of children were suspected of developmental delay, while approximately 31% exhibited issues related to excessive screen time. An unpaired t-test analysis identified a statistically significant positive association between the permissive parenting style and excessive screen time, as well as suspected developmental delay—particularly in language development—with p-values of 0.04 and 0.02, respectively. Limitations of the study include a small sample size, potential interviewer bias, and recall bias among parents and caregivers.
Keywords: Excessive Screen Time, Parenting Styles, Delayed Child Development
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