Abstract
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to (i) analyse the prevalence of gaming in young elementary school-aged children; (ii) assess the effect of gaming frequency on excessive screen use; and (iii) identify sociodemographic variables associated with frequent gaming. METHODS: A survey was conducted in April-June 2021 with parents of children attending grades 1-3 in randomly selected elementary schools in Czechia, Slovakia, and Finland.
Parents (n = 1871) reported the daily screen time and the weekly gaming frequency of their children during a typical week and provided sociodemographic information. RESULTS: Of the sample, 82% of children played digital games at least once a week.
The prevalence significantly differed based on country, with the highest prevalence in Finland (94%), followed by Czechia (81%) and Slovakia (75%): χ2 (2) = 52, p < .001. There was a significant association between an increased frequency of gaming and screen time.
Screen time was the highest in daily gamers (constituting 24% of the sample), in which it was as high as 280 minutes per day. Daily gaming was associated with country (χ2 (2) = 68, p < .001), gender (χ2 (1) = 12, p < .001, OR = 1.46 [1.18-1.81]), school year (χ2 (2) = 22.8, p < .001), and position among siblings (χ2 (2) = 19.8, p < .001).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings may help to determine the appropriate focus for prevention interventions.