Association of Screen Time Exposure With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Four to Six-Year-Old Children in Arar City, Saudi Arabia.

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a psychopathologic disorder caused by several factors. The early signs include poor interaction and communication, delayed milestones, and repeated behavior patterns. This study aimed to assess the relationship between screen time and ASD severity and investigate the types of electronic devices associated with ASD in children aged four to six years in Arar City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted in primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in Arar City, KSA. The study enrolled all parents with children aged four to six years attending the PHCs in Arar City, KSA. Results The total sample size was 199 participants. Regarding the relationship between screen time exposure and ASD, there were variable screen time exposure durations, with 22.6% of children exposed for less than an hour, 30.7% for one to two hours, and 46.7% for more than two hours. Moreover, the type of electronic devices to which children were exposed varied, with smartphones being the most prevalent (68.3%). In terms of the age of children since exposure to electronic devices, the data indicated that 30.2% were exposed before the age of two, 35.2% between two and three years, and 34.7% after three years of age. Regarding the relationship with sociodemographic characteristics, there was a statistically significant relationship with the mother's age at birth (p = 0.050), mother's education level (p = 0.009), father's education level (p = 0.049), whether the child was suffering from any chronic or neurological disease (p = 0.008), age since the child was exposed to electronic devices (p = 0.049), and screen time exposure duration (p = 0.040). Conclusions The study highlights the significant association between screen time exposure and the development of ASD in children. Public awareness of this associated risk among caregivers is recommended to follow the protective guidelines. Further research and interventions are needed to better understand and address the impact of screen media use on children's neurodevelopment and overall well-being.
Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Local Bioethics Committee, Northern Border University issued approval 107/23/H. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
(Copyright © 2024, Alenazi et al.)