Digital Screen Exposure of Children During Complementary Feeding: The Role of Maternal Social Media Addiction

Abstract

Background: Mothers may resort to digital screen use for their children during the complementary feeding period. Given the pervasiveness of social media use in daily life, mothers' screen-related behaviours during caregiving may be linked to their level of social media addiction. This study aimed to examine the relationship between mothers' social media addiction levels and their children's digital screen exposure during the complementary feeding period. Methods: This descriptive, comparative and correlational study included 390 mothers with children aged 6-18 months who presented to the paediatric outpatient clinics of a university hospital. Data were collected using the 'Screen Time and Complementary Feeding Information Form' and the 'Social Media Addiction Scale-Adult Form'. Independent-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis were used for exploratory data analysis. Results: The mean maternal social media addiction score was 44.11 +/- 10.836 (possible range: 20-100). Approximately one quarter of the children were exposed to digital screens during complementary feeding. Higher maternal addiction scores were observed across several socio-demographic and feeding-related characteristics. In addition, a statistically significant association was found between mothers' social media addiction scores and children's daily screen exposure (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Maternal social media addiction levels were moderate. These findings highlight the importance of maternal social media use as a potential factor associated with digital screen exposure during complementary feeding. Education on digital media use during complementary feeding should address screen practices as an integral component of infant feeding guidance.