Uso de telas e consumo de refeições, guloseimas e petiscos por crianças em fase pré-escolar

Abstract

The first years of life are crucial for the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development of children, establishing patterns that last a lifetime. In this context, prolonged and increasingly early exposure of children to screens implies sedentary routines associated with a decline in their nutritional quality and adverse health conditions. The goal was to analyze the association between screen time and the consumption of meals, treats and snacks of preschool children. It was a cross-sectional study, with data collection taking place from December 2022 to July 2023 through the application of the Sociodemographic Questionnaire and a Questionnaire about the absolute screen time and the child's eating habits. The sample was 175 participants. The data was analyzed through the SPSS program version 27. The study was approved under opinion 5.755.168. It was observed that the prevalence of mothers with incomplete or no high school education was high, as well as children between 1 and 2 years old. There is a negative correlation between the establishment of frequent time limits for children's screen time and the number of hours they spend in front of digital devices. Furthermore, the more frequently restrictions for snack consumption are established, the greater the occurrence of children who eat meals in front of screens. An association was found between the screen time on the cell phone at the weekend and limiting the use sodas during meals. It is concluded that it is essential to understand the dynamics of snack consumption and screen use at home to provide more targeted and assertive healthcare in childcare, positively impacting the routine and development of children.