A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Self-Instructional Module on Knowledge Regarding Screentime Usage and Its Impacts on Health of Children among Mothers of Under-Five Children at Selected Anganwadi Centres of Belagavi District Karnataka

Abstract

Background of the Study: mothers' perceptions of screen use and its health effects on children under five years of age. Increasing use of digital devices has raised concerns about children's health, as mothers play a key role in regulating screen time. Excessive screen use is associated with obesity, musculoskeletal problems, sleep disturbances, digital eye strain, and myopia. The findings emphasize the importance of mothers limiting screen time among children under five to promote healthy growth and development.

Methods: The study used an evaluative research approach with a pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design. It was conducted in selected Anganwadi centers of Belagavi District among 60 mothers of children under five years, selected through purposive sampling. A validated knowledge questionnaire was used for data collection. A Self-Instructional Module was provided after the pre-test, and its effectiveness was evaluated through a post-test conducted after seven days.

Results: The findings revealed that mothers had inadequate pre-test knowledge regarding screen time use and its effects on children's health. After the Self-Instructional Module (SIM) intervention, knowledge levels significantly improved, with 63.33% of participants achieving very good knowledge. The calculated paired t value (18.34) was higher than the table value (1.671) at the 0.05 significance level, confirming the effectiveness of SIM. No significant association was found between knowledge scores and selected socio-demographic variables; therefore, H1 was accepted and H2 was rejected.

Conclusion: According to the study's findings, the Self-Instructional Module intervention on screen time usage and its effects on health among mothers of children under the age of five was effective in providing mothers with moderate to adequate information and assisting them in improving their knowledge of how to avoid the negative health effects of excessive screens.