Media content and externalizing behaviors in Latino toddlers.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE:
There has been limited study of the association between media exposure and behavior in children younger than age 3 years. We sought to study this association in toddlers and determine whether the association varied depending on media content.

METHODS:
We carried out a secondary analysis of a cohort of Latino mother-infant dyads followed from birth to 33 months. We assessed media exposure at 21 and 33 months with a 24-hour recall diary that included information about the duration and content of each program watched. Behavior was assessed at 33 months by the Child Behavior Checklist.

RESULTS:
This analysis included 99 dyads. Results from multiple logistic regression analyses indicated associations of child behavior outcomes with 21-month total media exposure and both 21-month and 33-month exposure to noneducational young child media such as cartoons, after adjusting for maternal education, country of origin, and depressive symptoms, participation in a parenting program, and difficult child temperament. Media exposure has most consistent associations with aggressive behavior and externalizing problems.

CONCLUSIONS:
Media exposure was associated with externalizing behavior in Latino toddlers, with the strongest association for media oriented toward young children but without educational content. This finding has importance for both parents of young children and pediatricians as they provide anticipatory guidance.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Tomopoulos, Suzy (S); Dreyer, Benard P (BP); Valdez, Purnima (P); Flynn, Virginia (V); Foley, Gilbert (G); Berkule, Samantha B (SB); Mendelsohn, Alan L (AL);

Affiliation: New York University School of Medicine, Bellevue Hospital Center, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY 10016, USA. tomops01@med.nyu.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Ambulatory pediatrics : the official journal of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association (Ambul Pediatr), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: -2007 May-Jun; vol 7 (issue 3) : pp 232-8

Dates: Created 2007/05/21; Completed 2007/08/01; Revised 2007/11/15;

PMID: 17512884, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Aggression
Child Behavior - ethnology
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
Hispanic Americans - psychology
Humans

Infant
Motion Pictures as Topic
Socioeconomic Factors
Television
Time Factors
Video Games

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.