Association between the duration of mothers’ digital media use while with their children and two-year-old children’s development from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Few studies have evaluated the association between the duration of mothers' digital media use (including mobile phones, tablets, and PCs) while with their children and children's development. Using data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, we explored this relationship through multiple regression analysis. Self-administered questionnaires measured the duration of mothers' digital media use. Developmental outcomes were assessed using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001 (KSPD), administered to two-year-olds by trained examiners. The KSPD assessed three domains: postural-motor (fine and gross motor abilities), cognitive-adaptive (non-verbal cognitive capacity and visual-spatial comprehension), and language-social (interpersonal relationships, socialization, and verbal abilities). The analysis included 3,786 mother-child pairs with complete exposure data, outcomes, and covariates. The children of mothers who used digital media for one hour or more exhibited lower language-social development quotients compared with those whose mothers did not use digital media while with them. Furthermore, the children of mothers who used digital media for two hours or more showed a lower total developmental quotient compared with those whose mothers did not use digital media. The use of digital media by mothers for more than one hour per day while with their children is thus negatively associated with language development in two-year-olds, while use for more than two hours is negatively associated with children's development.

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Publication Details

Journal
Scientific Reports
Published
2025-03-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87430-9
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Child Development and Digital Technology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
26.78
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article

Association between the duration of mothers’ digital media use while with their children and two-year-old children’s development from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Ryoji Shinohara, Yuichi Nagasaka, Hyo Kyozuka, Koichi Hashimoto et al.
3 citations
Scientific Reports
Child Development and Digital Technology
26.78
article

Association between the duration of mothers’ digital media use while with their children and two-year-old children’s development from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Ryoji Shinohara, Yuichi Nagasaka, Hyo Kyozuka, Koichi Hashimoto, Hidekazu Nishigori, Hidekuni Inadera, Ryo Kawasaki, Reiko Kishi, Takatomo Matsumoto, Toma Fukuda, Aya Goto, Takeo Nakayama, Chisato Mori, Seiji Yasumura, Takahiko Katoh, Yuka Ogata, Mitsuaki Hosoya, Narufumi Suganuma, Shuichi Ito, Seiji Kageyama, Maki Fukami, Michihiro Kamijima, Keiya Fujimori, Yasuhiro Takeshima, Chiharu Ota, Tsuyoshi Murata, Yuichi Suzuki, Shoichi Ohga, Akiko Satô, Shin Yamazaki, Karin Imaizumi, Toshie Nishigori
article en
3 citations

Abstract

Few studies have evaluated the association between the duration of mothers' digital media use (including mobile phones, tablets, and PCs) while with their children and children's development. Using data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, we explored this relationship through multiple regression analysis. Self-administered questionnaires measured the duration of mothers' digital media use. Developmental outcomes were assessed using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001 (KSPD), administered to two-year-olds by trained examiners. The KSPD assessed three domains: postural-motor (fine and gross motor abilities), cognitive-adaptive (non-verbal cognitive capacity and visual-spatial comprehension), and language-social (interpersonal relationships, socialization, and verbal abilities). The analysis included 3,786 mother-child pairs with complete exposure data, outcomes, and covariates. The children of mothers who used digital media for one hour or more exhibited lower language-social development quotients compared with those whose mothers did not use digital media while with them. Furthermore, the children of mothers who used digital media for two hours or more showed a lower total developmental quotient compared with those whose mothers did not use digital media. The use of digital media by mothers for more than one hour per day while with their children is thus negatively associated with language development in two-year-olds, while use for more than two hours is negatively associated with children's development.

Scientific ReportsVol. 15(1)
Fukushima Medical University (JP), Kyushu University (JP), Chiba University (JP), National Institute for Environmental Studies (JP), Tohoku University (JP), Hokkaido University (JP), Kyoto University (JP), Nagoya City University (JP), Tottori University Hospital (JP), Fukushima Prefectural Culture Center (JP), National Center For Child Health and Development (JP), University of Toyama (JP), University of Yamanashi (JP), Kōchi University (JP), Hyogo University (JP), Yokohama City University (JP), Kumamoto University (JP), The University of Osaka (JP)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Child Development and Digital Technology
26.78
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