Contribution of Gaming to Overall Leisure Screen Time in Primary School Children

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.