The Effect of Primary Care Interventions on Children's Media Viewing Habits and Exposure to Violence

• Published in: Academic pediatrics Vol. 13; no. 6; pp. 531 - 539
• Main Authors: Aragon Neely, Jill, MD, Hudnut-Beumler, Julia, BA, White Webb, Margaret, MD, Chavis, Antwon, MD, Dietrich, Mary S., PhD, Bickman, Len, PhD, Scholer, Seth J., MD, MPH
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-11-2013
• Subjects: Adult; aggression; Child; child abuse; child behavior; Child, Preschool; counseling; education; Education, Nonprofessional; Female; Habits; Humans; intervention; Male; Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine; Parenting; Pediatrics; prevention and control; primary care; Primary Health Care; Television; violence; Violence - statistics & numerical data; child behavior; education; child abuse; counseling; pediatrics; primary care; prevention and control; aggression; intervention; parenting; violence
• ISSN: 1876-2859; 1876-2867
• DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2013.05.029

Abstract Objective To determine if brief primary care interventions can affect children's media viewing habits and exposure to violence. Methods English- and Spanish-speaking parents of 2- to 12-year-old children presenting to a pediatric primary care clinic participated in a randomized controlled trial. There were 2 intervention groups; one group viewed 5 minutes from the Play Nicely program and another received a handout, "Pulling the Plug on TV Violence." There were 2 control groups; the primary control group received standard primary care, and the alternative control group viewed a program about obesity prevention. The outcome measure was parental report of changes in media viewing habits and changes in exposure to violence. Results A total of 312 of 443 parents who were randomized completed a 2-week follow-up survey. Compared with the primary control group, parents in the video intervention group were more likely to report a change in their children's media viewing habits (odds ratio [OR] 3.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.66–6.51) and a change in their children's exposure to violence (OR 4.26; 95% CI 1.95–9.27). Compared with the primary control group, parents in the handout group were more likely to report a change in their children's media viewing habits (OR 4.35; 95% CI 2.20–8.60) and a change in their children's exposure to violence (OR 3.35; 95% CI 1.52–7.35). Conclusions Brief primary care interventions can affect children's media viewing habits and children's exposure to violence. These results have implications for how to improve primary care services related to decreasing children's media exposure and violence prevention.