Speakers
Description
Familial factors and screen use have shown to be significantly related to ADHD in children. However, theoretical models of the role of family environment, screen use, and ADHD have rarely been tested jointly, and little is known about these associations in LMICs. Therefore, a theoretical model of screen use, familial variables (lax-, overreactive parenting, parental psychological distress, and stress), and ADHD-related symptoms was tested in 835 parents from three European middle-income countries. ADHD-related symptoms were assessed with a structured clinical interview (MINI-KID) and the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL). While screen use was directly associated with ADHD symptoms across measures, a significant indirect effect of lax parenting on attentional problems via screen use was found only for the CBCL parent report. The final models were tested using multigroup analyses across countries, education levels, and marital status with significant differences for countries. Investments in resource and capacity building for families that target lax parenting and limit screen use may impact children's attentional problems across educational levels and married and nonmarried parents.
