A Study to Assess the Knowledge of Mothers Regarding the Impact of Cartoon Viewing in Children in a Selected School at Kongampara, Palakkad District

Abstract

Cartoons are now an everyday occurrence for kids because of the convenience that televisions, tablets, and smartphones have made. Although cartoons are entertaining, an excessive amount of them may have an impact on a child's behavior, learning preferences, and overall development. Mothers' awareness of the negative consequences of cartoon viewing on children was assessed, and the association between mothers' awareness and a few selected sociodemographic characteristics was determined. A quantitative approach was selected for the study. Eighty mothers of school-age children from a government-aided school in Kongampara, Palakkad district, were chosen via convenience sampling. To gather information, a structured questionnaire was used to gauge mothers' awareness of the effects of cartoon viewing on kids.
Data analysis was done using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The connection between mother's knowledge and specific demographic characteristics was determined using the chi-square test. According to the findings, 10% of the 80 mothers' knowledge on the effects of cartoon viewing on kids was bad, 75% was average, and 15% was good. There was a strong correlation (p=0.049) between the mother's occupation and her level of knowledge. However, there was no discernible correlation found between knowledge level and other sociodemographic factors such father's work, domicile, monthly income, family type, or religion. The results show that the majority of mothers knew very little about how watching cartoons affects kids. In order to improve mothers' comprehension of proper cartoon viewing habits and their impact on children's behavior and development, the study highlighted the necessity of health education and awareness programs.