No use at all of digital media for children under two years and a maximum of one hour per day for children between the ages of two and five, according to the Public Health Agency's guidelines. But a survey from GIH shows that few children follow the recommendations.
Gisela Nyberg understands that it can be difficult for parents to follow the recommendations completely.
But it is important then to ensure that screen time is limited as much as possible, she says.
Among one-year-olds, only 22 percent follow the guidelines on weekdays and 17 percent on weekends. In the four-year-old age group, 60 percent follow the guidelines on weekdays, but only 28 percent stick to one hour per day on weekends.
On weekdays, it is more structured and most are in preschool, says Gisela Nyberg.
Differences early on
The study also shows that only half of four-year-olds move enough. Among four-year-olds, 60 percent of boys met the guidelines for physical activity, while only 42 percent of girls were physically active enough.
It is worrying that there is already such a large proportion that does not meet the guidelines for physical activity, which has consequences for health, both in the short and long term.
The difference between the sexes was not seen among children at 18 months.
Parents' level of education
Children of highly educated parents to a greater extent followed the guidelines for both screen time and physical activity. Parents with higher education to a greater extent put their children in organized sports and activities, which may be an explanation, according to Gisela Nyberg. It was also more common for these children to cycle or walk to preschool.
Differences were already noticeable in the younger age group.
We were surprised that you saw these differences so early, says Nyberg.
The survey, which is part of the National Food Agency's study "Riksmaten small children 2021–24", is published in Acta Paediatrica.
The survey has looked at children who are 18 months old and four years old. A total of 1,828 children participated. 1,078 of the children were 18 months old and 750 of the children were four years old. The children are spread throughout the country.
Both pedometers and questionnaires about habits have been used to measure the children's physical activity and screen time.
The study is a collaboration between GIH, which has produced the results regarding physical activity and screen time, and the National Food Agency, which is responsible for the survey Riksmaten small children 2021–24.
