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Pediatric primary care interventions reduced media exposure, increased parent-child interactions
Mendelsohn AL. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med.
2011;165:33-41.
Mendelsohn AL. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med.
2011;165:42-48.
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Pediatric primary care-based interventions reduced media exposure in children and increased parent-child interactions, particularly in families with lower socioeconomic status, according to the results of two studies.
Researchers conducting the Bellevue Project for Early Language, Literacy, and Education Success observed 410 inner-city mother-child pairs between Nov. 1, 2005, and Oct. 31, 2008. Participants had no major medical complications, and all infants were full-term gestation (>37 weeks) singletons with birth weights of at least 2,500 g. Mothers were the primary caregivers whose native language was either English or Spanish.
Participants were randomly assigned in this single blind study to one of three groups: the Video Interaction Project (VIP), Building Blocks (BB) or the control group. The same primary pediatricians delivered routine well-care to all three groups.
In the VIP group, the mother was videotaped during 15-minute play sessions with her child during primary care visits. The mother then reviewed the video with a childhood development specialist who pointed out ways to improve interactions with the child. The mother was then given additional learning materials and parenting pamphlets to take home.
In the BB group, the mother was mailed parenting and learning materials, including age-specific newsletters suggesting ways she could interact with her child, and questionnaires for determining the trajectory of the child’s development.
The control group received neither materials nor coaching.
All three groups were assessed for electronic media exposure in the home using a 24-hour recall diary derived from interviews with the mother. Total daily media exposure was calculated in minutes per each 24-hour period.
At 6 months, the mean exposure was 146.5 minutes per day. The VIP group was associated with less media exposure than either the BB or control groups (mean minutes per day for VIP, 131.6; BB, 151.2; control, 155.4; P=.009). Low media exposure was defined as 30 minutes per day or less. Children in the VIP group tended to have their first exposure to media approximately 2 weeks later than children in the other two groups (P=.01) and had roughly half the media exposure as the BB and control groups.
Mother-child interactions also were observed using StimQ, a structured interview for use with lower socioeconomic status English- or Spanish-speaking families, that assesses parent-child interactions, including shared reading, teaching and verbal responsivity, by using toys and other learning materials. Researchers found that enhanced interactions between mother and child partially mediated relations between VIP and media exposure in families with at least a ninth-grade literacy level.
“Pediatric primary care represents a significant opportunity for enhancing developmental trajectories in at-risk children,” the researchers wrote.
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