Touch Screen Usage Time In Relation To Visual Motor Integration and Quality of Life In Preschoolers

Touch Screen Usage Time In Relation To Visual Motor Integration and Quality of Life In Preschoolers: A Cross Sectional Study

Recent literatures are associating digital technology extensive and addictive use with physical, psychosocial and cognitive inverse consequences. This research focuses more on number of touch screen devices; age started using devices and usage time in relation to cognitive function in preschoolers.

A hundred typically developing preschool children of both genders with age ranges from three to five years will be included in this study. Visual motor integration, quality of life and cognitive function were assessed by the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ cognitive functioning scale respectively

Sample size To avoid type II error, sample size calculation was based on data from a pilot study on correlation between touch screen usage time and visual motor integration. Using G*POWER statistica software (version 3.1.9.2; Franz Faul, Universitat Kiel, Germany) [Correlational study, α=0.05, β=0.2, and medium effect size = 0.3] revealed that the appropriate sample size for this study was N=84 Therefore, one-hundred children were recruited for possible dropouts during assessment.

Inclusion criteria:

Children were enrolled in this study according to the following criteria:

• Age ranges from three to five years.
• Both genders were included.

Exclusion criteria:

Children were excluded from the study if they had any of the following criteria:

• Diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) or developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD).
• Preterm children; children with major physical disabilities, genetic disorders; prenatal exposure to alcohol; children with a history of head trauma and infections.
• Diagnosed with psychiatric conditions such as autism and depression.
• Diagnosed with significant behavioral disorders
• Diagnosed with fine motor problems.
• Significant auditory or visual deficits.