Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jun 13, 2021
Open Peer Review Period: Jun 13, 2021 - Aug 8, 2021
Date Accepted: Jul 13, 2022
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Digital device exposure and cognition levels of children in lower-middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study in Cambodia
ABSTRACT
Background:
In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), policymakers and practitioners are increasingly focusing on the effectiveness of digital devices for medical and education services in children. However, several critical questions regarding the effectiveness of digital devices for preschool-aged children in LMICs remain unanswered due to a lack of evidence.
Objective:
This study aims to examine the relationship between familiarity with digital devices, social-economic status, and the cognitive functions of preschool-aged children in Cambodia.
Methods:
Based on a survey on three- to nine-year-old children’s familiarity with digital devices and the results of an impact test regarding the application of cognitive development, we examined the influence of the application on cognitive development of children in two Cambodian schools from 22 April to 4 May 2019. For analysis, the children were split into two groups: Group (A) children with pre-test digital device experience, and Group (B) children without pre-test digital device experience.
Results:
The results of CANTAB tests, except for one related to executive function area, did not indicate significant differences (p>0⸱05) among Group (A), Group (B), and the four sub-groups. Pre-test digital device experience and the amount of time using digital devices during the test did not have significantly different impacts on the cognitive development of children. Conversely, the education expenditure levels caused significant differences in the attention and executive function areas.
Conclusions:
These results provide evidence for the importance of improving socio-economic conditions leading to investment in education when policymakers and practitioners are looking to implement programs for children’s cognitive development through digital devices in LMICs.
Citation
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