Guidelines needed for children’s screen time at daycare
Guidelines are needed about screen time for children at daycare, according to new research from the University of
Auckland.
The study findings suggest that Early Childhood Education (ECE) services could do more to monitor screen use and
encourage children to be active while attending daycare.
“Stronger physical activity policies for ECE could be the key to this,” says PhD student Sarah Gerritsen who conducted
the survey with the support of Gravida and a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship.
“In contrast to the perception of many adults, pre-schoolers are not naturally active and energetic,” she says. “Instead
they need lots of opportunities and encouragement to engage in active movement.”
Sarah’s online survey, titled ‘Kai time in ECE’ is the first survey in New Zealand to examine the content of written
physical activity policies and discover how often children use ‘screens’ (computers, tablets, DVDs and television etc.)
in childcare.
Her research findings were published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
“Nearly all New Zealand children attend early childhood education before starting school - the majority for more than
six hours each day, three or four days a week from their third birthday until they start school, so this is an important
environment for children’s development,” says Sarah. “Day care centres and kindergartens can provide many opportunities
for physical activity and teach children that movement is fun and makes you feel great.”
“How active pre-schoolers are has immediate and long-term consequences for their physical and mental health,” she says.
“Young children who are sedentary for long periods of time are less likely to be active in later childhood, adolescence
and adulthood, increasing their risk of obesity and shortening their life expectancy.”
The research showed that only one in three ECE services (35 percent) had a written physical activity policy to guide
staff in planning and implementing activities for children.
Most of the policies were worded as suggestions rather than requirements and not one addressed or limited the time
children spent using computers or watching TV or DVDs while attending the service.
“Our research found many areas for improvement such as comprehensive ECE physical activity policies with measurable
actions and rules.
“Recommendations also included national guidelines on the optimum - not just minimum - levels of activity and space for
child development; clear recommendations on screen use and ideas for reducing screen-time in under-fives; more training
for ECE teachers in physical activity; and increased participation in health promotion programmes to encourage ‘physical
activity champions’ within every daycare centre and kindergarten.”
“The current review of the Ministry of Health’s physical activity guidelines could be an opportunity to include specific
information for the childcare sector that assist ECE providers in improving their own policies; an approach used
successfully in the United Kingdom,” she says.
The survey found it was not uncommon for children to have screen time while attending ECE. Children were reported to
watch television or DVDs at least once a week in 13 percent of services (every day in 2 percent) and use computers or
tablets at least once a week in a third of services (every day in 11 percent of services). . All types of screen use
were higher in public kindergartens than other ECE services.
Fifty percent of services had a person that they considered to be a ‘physical activity champion’ - someone who shares
knowledge and skills about physical activity, raises awareness and promotes change regarding physical activity for
children.
Yet only 44 percent of ECE services participated in health promotion programmes with a physical activity component.
ECE services that participated in a health promotion programme, such as the Heart Foundation’s Healthy Heart Awards or
Sport Waikato’s Under 5 Energize, were more likely to have a physical activity champion and a written physical activity
policy.
The ‘Kai Time in ECE’ survey targeted all licensed ECE services for children aged three and four years in the Auckland,
Counties Manukau and Waikato regions, which together contain one-third of New Zealand’s pre-schoolers.
A total of 237 services (28 percent of all licensed services in the areas) completed the questions about physical
activity and screen time.
“Children were reported by ECE managers and teachers to be engaged in active teacher-led play for 80 minutes per day and
child-led activity for five hours per day while at the service,” says Sarah.
This is in stark contrast to a previous New Zealand study that found children were sedentary for 76 percent of the time
they spent at childcare.
“The perception of teachers and ECE managers that children are active all the time might be the reason why they don’t
see the need to promote physical activity or have a physical activity policy. More direction from the Ministries of
Health and Education could be useful in this instance,” says Sarah.
ENDS