Association between short-form video media use and inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and oppositional defiant symptoms in Thai preschool children

Media use has previously been bidirectionally associated with attentional problems in children. Evidence regarding short-form video, a relatively new type of media accessible through personal devices such as smartphones and tablets, remains limited, particularly in preschool populations, a critical period of attention development. This study forms part of a larger research project examining the association between short-form video use and caregiver-rated inattentive and related symptoms. Results from the school-age sample were published separately. This cross-sectional study was conducted using caregiver-rated data of 214 children aged 3–5 years (mean age 4.3 year), recruited from a tertiary care hospital’s child vaccination and a child psychiatry outpatient clinics. Caregivers estimated short-form video screen time in a self-reported questionnaire, and rated behavioral symptoms using the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham IV scale. Data on demographics, comorbidities, other non-short-form video screen use, parenting practices, and caregiver’s well-being were collected as covariates. Associations were analyzed with generalized linear models (gamma distribution with log link function). Mean daily screen time was 3.0 h, of which 1.6 h consisted of short-form video use. In adjusted analyses, short-form video use was significantly associated with inattentive symptoms (Exp[B] = 1.33, 95% CI 1.27–1.39, p < 0.001), hyperactive–impulsive symptoms (Exp[B] = 1.20, 95% CI 1.16–1.26, p < 0.001), and oppositional defiant symptoms (Exp[B] = 1.14, 95% CI 1.08–1.20, p < 0.001). In this mixed non-clinical and clinical sample of preschoolers, short-form video media use was associated with inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and oppositional defiant symptoms. Potential vulnerabilities associated with the preschool developmental period were discussed, together with considerations of parenting contexts. Further longitudinal research is needed to clarify causal pathways and long-term developmental implications, thereby clarifying short-form video use’s role as a health determinant and inform development of media-specific guidance regarding healthy digital media uses.