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Abstract(s)
Fundamentação teórica: O uso excessivo de dispositivos eletrónicos tem sido identificado como uma das principais fontes de disrupção da higiene do sono entre os jovens e está frequentemente associado a uma série de consequências negativas para a saúde física e mental, destacando-se também potenciais consequências a nível cognitivo, como piores níveis de atenção e funcionamento executivo. Sendo as funções executivas uma componente central da capacidade de autorregulação e auto-monitorização do ser humano, torna-se pertinente examinar os fatores que possam impactar negativamente estas capacidades nos primeiros anos de escolaridade obrigatória. A presente investigação teve como objetivo investigar a relação entre o tempo de ecrã, a qualidade do sono e o desempenho cognitivo em crianças portuguesas de idade escolar. Metodologia: A amostra selecionada é constituída por 94 crianças dos 7 aos 10 anos (M = 8.53 anos; DP = .876), pertencentes ao 2º, 3º e 4º anos de uma instituição escolar privada do distrito de Lisboa, sendo que 53.2% (N = 50) são do sexo feminino e 46.8% (N = 44) do sexo masculino. Os instrumentos utilizados incluíram medidas de heterorrelato e medidas de desempenho direto. Para a medição e caracterização do tempo de ecrã e da qualidade do sono, foi aplicado o QTEC e o CSHQ-PT aos pais, respetivamente. Para avaliar a atenção e o funcionamento executivo, aplicaram-se às crianças as provas de Fluência Verbal, o Cancelamento de Sinais e as Trilhas (A e B) da BANC, a prova de Memória de Dígitos da WISC-III e uma tarefa Go/No-Go computorizada. Foram ainda aplicadas as CPM-P para medida de controlo do raciocínio lógico não-verbal. Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que, embora não tenha sido encontrada uma associação significativa e generalizada entre o tempo de ecrã e o Índice de Perturbação do Sono (IPS), verificou-se uma correlação significativa entre o uso de tablets durante a semana e o IPS. Quanto maior o tempo de ecrã passado neste dispositivo, pior a qualidade do sono. Em relação ao desempenho cognitivo, não foram observadas associações significativas com a qualidade do sono, mas houve correlações marginais entre o tempo de ecrã para atividades escolares ao fim de semana e o controlo inibitório, bem como uma associação significativa entre o uso de consolas e a fluência verbal fonémica. Quanto maior o tempo de ecrã dedicado a atividades escolares ao fim de semana, pior o desempenho na tarefa de controlo inibitório. Da mesma forma, o maior tempo despendido em consolas de jogos durante o fim de semana, reflete uma menor capacidade de iniciativa verbal e flexibilidade cognitiva. Conclusão: A exposição a ecrãs pode apresentar diferentes relações tendo em conta o tipo de dispositivo e o momento de utilização (semana vs. fim de semana), contribuindo para diferentes padrões quer a nível do sono, quer a nível cognitivo. Contudo, essas relações não são tão generalizadas nem tão fortes quanto por vezes é sugerido pela literatura. Fatores como a natureza do dispositivo, o tipo de atividade (escolar vs. lazer) e o momento de utilização (semana vs. fim de semana) parecem desempenhar papéis relevantes. Além disso, o contexto familiar e outros fatores ambientais, como o apoio educacional e a supervisão parental, surgem como variáveis determinantes a considerar no impacto do uso de ecrãs e da qualidade do sono na cognição das crianças. Estudos futuros com amostras mais diversas e a inclusão de medidas objetivas de tempo de ecrã e qualidade do sono poderão não só enriquecer a compreensão sobre estas associações, como também oferecer orientações mais precisas para ações de sensibilização no contexto educativo e familiar.
Theoretical Background: The excessive use of electronic devices has been identified as one of the main sources of disruption to sleep hygiene among young people and is frequently associated with a range of negative consequences for physical and mental health. Additionally, there are potential cognitive consequences, such as poorer levels of attention and executive functioning. As executive functions are a central component of human self-regulation and self-monitoring, it becomes pertinent to examine the factors that might negatively impact these capacities during early years of compulsory schooling. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between screen time, sleep quality, and cognitive performance in Portuguese school-aged children. Method: The selected sample consisted of 94 children aged between 7 and 10 years (M = 8.53 years; SD = .876), attending the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades of a private school in the Lisbon district, with 53.2% (N = 50) being female and 46.8% (N = 44) male. The instruments used included both parent-reported and direct performance measures. To assess screen time and sleep quality, the QTEC and the CSHQ-PT were administered to the parents, respectively. To evaluate attention and executive functioning, the children were administered the Verbal Fluency test, the Signal Cancellation task, and the Trails (A and B) from the BANC, along with the Digit Span subtest from the WISC-III and a computerised Go/No-Go task. Additionally, The CPM-P was also applied to control for non-verbal logical reasoning. Results: The findings showed that, although no significant and generalised association was found between screen time and the Sleep Disturbance Index (IPS), a significant correlation was found between weekday tablet use and the IPS. The longer the screen time on this device, the poorer the sleep quality. Regarding cognitive performance, no significant associations were observed with sleep quality, but marginal correlations were found between weekend screen time for school activities and inhibitory control, as well as a significant association between video game console use and phonemic verbal fluency. The more screen time spent on school-related activities over the weekend, the poorer the performance on the inhibitory control task. Similarly, increased time spent on video game consoles during the weekend was associated with reduced verbal initiative and cognitive flexibility Conclusion: Screen exposure may present different relationships depending on the type of device and the time of use (weekday vs. weekend), contributing to varying patterns both in terms of sleep and cognitive performance. However, these relationships are not as widespread nor as strong as is often suggested in literature. Factors such as the type of the device, the nature of the activity (school vs. leisure), and the time of use (weekday vs. weekend) appear to play relevant roles. Moreover, family context and other environmental factors, such as educational support and parental supervision, emerge as key variables to consider when assessing the impact of screen use and sleep quality on children's cognition. Future studies with more diverse samples and the inclusion of objective measures of screen time and sleep quality could not only enrich the understanding of these associations but also provide more precise guidance for awareness-raising initiatives within educational and family settings.
Theoretical Background: The excessive use of electronic devices has been identified as one of the main sources of disruption to sleep hygiene among young people and is frequently associated with a range of negative consequences for physical and mental health. Additionally, there are potential cognitive consequences, such as poorer levels of attention and executive functioning. As executive functions are a central component of human self-regulation and self-monitoring, it becomes pertinent to examine the factors that might negatively impact these capacities during early years of compulsory schooling. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between screen time, sleep quality, and cognitive performance in Portuguese school-aged children. Method: The selected sample consisted of 94 children aged between 7 and 10 years (M = 8.53 years; SD = .876), attending the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades of a private school in the Lisbon district, with 53.2% (N = 50) being female and 46.8% (N = 44) male. The instruments used included both parent-reported and direct performance measures. To assess screen time and sleep quality, the QTEC and the CSHQ-PT were administered to the parents, respectively. To evaluate attention and executive functioning, the children were administered the Verbal Fluency test, the Signal Cancellation task, and the Trails (A and B) from the BANC, along with the Digit Span subtest from the WISC-III and a computerised Go/No-Go task. Additionally, The CPM-P was also applied to control for non-verbal logical reasoning. Results: The findings showed that, although no significant and generalised association was found between screen time and the Sleep Disturbance Index (IPS), a significant correlation was found between weekday tablet use and the IPS. The longer the screen time on this device, the poorer the sleep quality. Regarding cognitive performance, no significant associations were observed with sleep quality, but marginal correlations were found between weekend screen time for school activities and inhibitory control, as well as a significant association between video game console use and phonemic verbal fluency. The more screen time spent on school-related activities over the weekend, the poorer the performance on the inhibitory control task. Similarly, increased time spent on video game consoles during the weekend was associated with reduced verbal initiative and cognitive flexibility Conclusion: Screen exposure may present different relationships depending on the type of device and the time of use (weekday vs. weekend), contributing to varying patterns both in terms of sleep and cognitive performance. However, these relationships are not as widespread nor as strong as is often suggested in literature. Factors such as the type of the device, the nature of the activity (school vs. leisure), and the time of use (weekday vs. weekend) appear to play relevant roles. Moreover, family context and other environmental factors, such as educational support and parental supervision, emerge as key variables to consider when assessing the impact of screen use and sleep quality on children's cognition. Future studies with more diverse samples and the inclusion of objective measures of screen time and sleep quality could not only enrich the understanding of these associations but also provide more precise guidance for awareness-raising initiatives within educational and family settings.
Description
Keywords
Tempo de ecrã Qualidade do sono Desempenho cognitivo Atenção Funções executivas Crianças Idade escolar Screen time Sleep quality Cognitive performance Attention Executive functions Children School age