Screen Use by Children in a Pediatric Waiting Room and the Effect of an Environmental Intervention

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Environmental waiting room intervention: Modification of the physical environment of the pediatric waiting room to reduce screen use: posters for parents and caregivers on the benefits of reducing screen exposure; play and educational materials (books, puzzles, board games, and educational toys); and boards or murals for children and adults to draw or write on.

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if changing the physical environment of a pediatric waiting room can reduce the use of screen devices (such as mobile phones and tablets) by children aged 2 to 8 years while they wait for their appointment. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does the proportion of children who use a screen device in the waiting room decrease after the intervention?
* What types of digital content do children use most often in the waiting room, and which sociodemographic factors are associated with screen use? Researchers will compare children seen before the waiting room was changed with children seen after the change to see if fewer children use screen devices.

The intervention consists of posters for parents and caregivers on the benefits of reducing screen time, play and educational materials (books, puzzles, board games, and educational toys), and boards or murals where children and adults can draw or write.

Parents or legal guardians of participating children will complete a short anonymous survey on a tablet in the waiting room.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Proportion of children using a screen device in the waiting room — Baseline
  Proportion of children who use any screen device (mobile phone, tablet, game console, or similar) in the waiting room before the consultation, reported by the parent or legal guardian in the study survey. Screen use is defined as the child actively watching or handling a screen device.

Trial sites (1)

More Consorci Sanitari de l'Alt Penedès i Garraf trials in Spain