Parents and Mobile Devices, from Theory to Practice: Comparison between Perception and Attitudes to 0-5 Year Old Children's Use

Pediatrics associations recommend avoiding the use of mobile devices (MDs) in children aged 0-2 years and limiting them to one hour per day for children aged 3-5 years. This study aimed to explore public risk perception on MDs use by children aged 0-5 years and attitudes of parents to children's use. Participants were recruited on a voluntary basis by social media using a self-administered survey. The study included 3115 participants, most of whom were parents of children aged under 5 years (n = 1901; 61%). Most of the respondents (74%) considered that MDs use could be harmful for children's health. The awareness on a correct use did not always translate into avoiding MDs use as recommended, especially in parents of children aged 0-2 years. Half of the sample (54%) received or sought information on risks related to MDs use. The most consulted information sources were the web (78%), and pediatricians in only 22% of cases. Understanding the determinants of parents' risk perception and behavior is necessary to design effective family-based interventions in order to guide parents to a moderate and more careful use of MDs by their children. To do so, public health actions must aim to strengthen awareness about conscious use of MDs.