Parental rules on children’s screen use in France: findings from the Enabee 2022 national survey

Background

Children’s screen use is a growing public health concern, particularly concerning screen time. However, parental rules regarding children’s screen use remain understudied. We aimed to examine the sociodemographic factors associated with low levels of parental screen rules.

Methods

We used data from the Enabee 2022 study, a nationally representative survey of preschool and primary school children in metropolitan France. Three outcomes were examined: screen-time limits (sometimes/never vs always/often), content restrictions (sometimes/never vs often), and both practices. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess associations with child sex, age (3-5, 6-8, 9-11 years), and parental education level. Survey design and non-response weights were accounted for in all analyses.

Results

Overall, 12.1% (95% confidence interval: 11.4-12.8) of parents reported sometimes/never limiting screen time, 53.6% (52.4-54.8) reported sometimes/never restricting content, and 9.1% (8.5-9.7) reported both practices. In multivariable models, child age and parental education were independently associated with all outcomes, while child sex was not. Compared with children aged 3-5 years, those aged 9-11 years were more likely to have parents reporting sometimes/never limiting screen time (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.39-1.89), restricting content (OR = 2.07, 1.87-2.30), or both practices (OR = 1.99, 1.68-2.37). Parents with lower education level were also more likely to report sometimes/never limiting screen time (OR = 2.46, 2.08-2.92) and not applying both rules (OR = 2.15, 1.77-2.61) compared with higher education.

Conclusions

A substantial proportion of parents reported infrequent use of rules regarding children’s screen use, particularly regarding content. Older child age and lower parental education were key determinants. Public health interventions should target families with lower socioeconomic resources and adapt strategies to children’s developmental stages.

Key messages

• Infrequent use of rules regarding children’s screen use is common, particularly regarding content, and becomes more frequent as children grow older.

• Social inequalities play a key role: lower parental education is consistently associated with less use of rules regarding children screen use, highlighting a need for targeted public health actions.