Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE: There has been limited study of the association between media exposure and behavior in children younger than age 3 years. We sought to study this association in toddlers and determine whether the association varied depending on media content. METHODS: We carried out a secondary analysis of a cohort of Latino mother-infant dyads followed from birth to 33 months. We assessed media exposure at 21 and 33 months with a 24-hour recall diary that included information about the duration and content of each program watched. Behavior was assessed at 33 months by the Child Behavior Checklist. RESULTS: This analysis included 99 dyads. Results from multiple logistic regression analyses indicated associations of child behavior outcomes with 21-month total media exposure and both 21-month and 33-month exposure to noneducational young child media such as cartoons, after adjusting for maternal education, country of origin, and depressive symptoms, participation in a parenting program, and difficult child temperament. Media exposure has most consistent associations with aggressive behavior and externalizing problems. CONCLUSIONS: Media exposure was associated with externalizing behavior in Latino toddlers, with the strongest association for media oriented toward young children but without educational content. This finding has importance for both parents of young children and pediatricians as they provide anticipatory guidance

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether electronic media exposure is associated with decreased parental reading and teaching activities in the homes of preschool children. METHODS: A convenience sample presenting for well-child care to an urban hospital pediatric clinic was enrolled. Inclusion criteria were: child's age 3 to 5 years and not yet in kindergarten. Electronic media exposure (TV, movies/video, computer/video games) was assessed with a 24-hour recall diary and characterized on the basis of industry ratings. Reading aloud and teaching activities were assessed with the StimQ-Preschool READ and PIDA (Parental Involvement in Developmental Advance) subscales, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 77 families were assessed. Children were exposed to a mean (SD) of 200.8 (128.9) minutes per day of media, including 78.2 (63.7) minutes of educational young child-oriented, 62.0 (65.6) minutes of noneducational young child-oriented, 14.8 (41.4) minutes of school age/teen-oriented, and 29.2 (56.6) minutes of adult-oriented media, as well as to 16.6 (47.5) minutes of media of unknown type. A total of 79.2% watched 2 or more hours per day. Noneducational young child-oriented exposure was associated with fewer reading (semipartial correlation coefficient [SR] = -0.24, P = .02) and teaching (SR = -0.27, P = .01) activities; similar relationships were not found for other media categories. Children exposed to 2 or more hours of total electronic media per day had 1.6 (95% confidence interval, 0.4-2.9) fewer days per week of reading than children exposed to less than 2 hours (SR = -0.27, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: This study found an association between increased exposure to noneducational young child-oriented media and decreased teaching and reading activities in the home. This association represents a mechanism by which media exposure could adversely affect development

OBJECTIVE: Attitudes about shared reading among at-risk mothers of newborn babies have not been the focus of previous study. Better understanding of factors associated with these attitudes would facilitate pediatricians' provision of anticipatory guidance. We sought to assess sociodemographic correlates of attitudes regarding and resources available for shared reading among multiethnic, low socioeconomic status (SES) mothers of newborns. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis of consecutive mother-infant dyads enrolled during the postpartum period onto an urban public hospital. Dependent variables were attitudes and resources related to shared reading with infants. Independent variables were family sociodemographics, reading difficulties, and social risks. RESULTS: A total of 211 mother-newborn dyads were assessed; 23.7% reported not planning to look at books together until 12 months or later, 42.2% reported no baby books in the home, and 19.9% reported concerns about shared reading. In multiple logistic regression analyses, independent significant associations with not planning to share books together in infancy were lower maternal education, not speaking English, and firstborn. Independent significant associations of not having baby books were not speaking English, firstborn, and perceived difficulty reading in their native language. CONCLUSIONS: Many at-risk mothers of newborn babies do not report plans to read in infancy and do not have appropriate books in the home. Consideration should be given to universal provision of early anticipatory guidance addressing shared reading, either during the postpartum period or during initial well-child care visits

OBJECTIVE: To assess a two-question screening tool, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), for identifying depressive symptomatology in economically disadvantaged mothers of children in pediatric settings and to explore risk factors associated with a positive depression screen. METHODS: A convenience sample of mothers was enrolled at an inner city well-child clinic with children age 3 days to 5 years. The PHQ-2 and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (as reference scale) were completed. RESULTS: Ninety-four mothers participated. Agreement of the PHQ-2 and EPDS was moderate. The sensitivity of the PHQ-2 for identifying a positive screen on the EPDS was 43.5%; the specificity was 97.2%. The sensitivity of the PHQ-2 was higher for mothers with education beyond high school compared to those with less education. Perceived lack of support with child care and having two or more children were associated with a positive screen. The rate of positive screen was similar for mothers with infants and with older children. CONCLUSION: Given the low sensitivity of the PHQ-2 in lower educated mothers, additional research in populations with varying sociodemographic characteristics is indicated. Similar rates of symptoms for mothers within and beyond the postpartum period and mothers previously screened support the need for periodic screening