Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: May 21, 2020
Date Accepted: Jul 26, 2020
Electronic device use during family time was associated with lower family well-being: a population-based cross-sectional study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Electronic devices (E-device) may have positive or negative influences on family communication and well-being depending on how they are used.
Objective:
We examined e-device use during family time and its association with the quality of family communication and well-being in Hong Kong Chinese.
Methods:
In 2017, a probability-based landline telephone survey collected data on e-device use in daily life and during family time (e.g., family dinner) and the presence of rules banning e-device use during family dinner. Family communication quality was rated 0 to 10 with higher scores being favorable. Family well-being was calculated as a composite mean score of 3 items each using the same scale 0 to 10. The associations of family communication quality and well-being with e-device use in daily life and during family time were estimated using beta-coefficient (β) adjusting for socio-demographics. The mediating role of family communication quality in the association between e-device use and family well-being was analyzed.
Results:
Of the 2064 respondents (mean age 56.4±19.2 years, 45.0% male), 83.0% used e-device daily for 3.6 hours (± 0.1) on average and 45.5% used them for 30+ minutes before sleep. Near half (46.6%) often or sometimes used e-device during family time including dinner (20.5%). 38.2% reported use of e-device by family members during dinner. Lower family communication quality was associated with hours of e-device use before sleep (adjusted β -0.25; 95% CI -0.44, -0.05), and often use (vs never use) of e-device during family dinner by oneself (adjusted β -0.51; 95% CI -0.91, -0.10) and family members (adjusted β -0.54; 95% CI -0.79, -0.29). Similarly, lower family well-being was associated with e-device use before sleep (adjusted β -0.26; 95% CI -0.42, -0.09), and often use during family dinner by oneself (adjusted β -0.48; 95% CI -0.83, -0.12) and family member (adjusted β -0.50; 95% CI -0.72, -0.28). Total ban of e-device use during family dinner was negatively associated with often use by oneself (adjusted OR 0.49; 95% CI 0.29, 0.85) and family members (adjusted OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.28, 0.60) but not with family communication and well-being. Lower family communication quality substantially mediated the total effect of the association of e-device use time before sleep (61.2%) and often use at family dinner by oneself (87.0%) and by family members (67.8%) with family well-being.
Conclusions:
E-device use before sleep and during family dinner was associated with lower family well-being, and the association was substantially mediated by family communication quality. Our results suggest interventions on smart use of e-device may improve family communication and well-being.
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