Prevalence and Risk Factors of Electronic Gadgets uses Among Children Less Than Five Years of Age in Peshawar City, Pakistan

Background: Introducing technology to children at a young age can have adverse effects on their personal lives, their relationships with others, and their health in the future. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the city of Peshawar from December 2018 to March 2019. Objectives: Objectives of this study were to find out the prevalence and the risk factors associated with electronic gadget use among children less than 5 years old. Results: Among the total 401 subjects, 322 (80.3%) children were using electronic gadgets whereas 79 (19.7%) children never used or used any kind of electronic gadgets. Among the gadget users, 29 (9%) children were less than one-year-old. The average screen time for the users was 3.06 hours per day. A total number of 42 (13%) were identified as obese, 51 (16%) and 46 (14%) children were having speech difficulty/delayed speech and less social-interactive respectively while 19 (6%) children had visual problems. Conclusion: Our study revealed an alarming 80.3% prevalence of electronic gadget use among children less than 5 years of age. The average screen time identified in this study is also higher than the recommended time. Awareness regarding negative health outcomes is required to limit children's exposure to gadgets.