Multidimensional predictors of adolescents’ nonacademic digital media use in the United States: Insights from a bioecological perspective

Figures & data

Table 1. Descriptive statistics for media use and person factors.

	Mean (SD)
Media use^1	4.2 (1.3)
None (%)	1.6
Less than 1 hour (%)	8.7
1 hour (%)	20.3
2 hours (%)	29.9
3 hours (%)	17.2
4 or more hours (%)	21.5
Person factors
Demand characteristics
Age	14.3 (2.0)
Sex (% female)	49.2
Ethnicity
White (%)	71.5
Hispanic (%)	10.6
Black (%)	6.0
Other	11.9
BMI^2 (%)
Underweight	5.7
Healthy weight	67.8
Overweight	13.9
Obese	12.5
Resource characteristics
Sleep^3	4.2 (1.0)
Physical activity^4	2.6 (.9)
Self-regulation^5	2.5 (.4)
Force characteristics
Anxiety (%)
Do not have condition	86.1
Ever told, but do not currently have condition	1.9
Currently have condition	12.0
Depression (%)
Do not have condition	91.8
Ever told, but do not currently have condition	1.9
Currently have condition	6.3

Note: SDs are shown in parentheses.

^aAverage weekday time spent on nonacademic use on new media (computers, cell phones, handheld video games, and other devices) was rated on a 6-point scale: 1 = none, 2 = less than one hour, 3 = one hour, 4 = two hours, 5 = three hours, 6 = four or more hours.

^bBody mass index was classified in 4 categories: 1 = underweight (5^th percentile or below); 2 = healthy weight (5^th to 84^th percentile); 3 = overweight (85^th to 94^th percentile); 4 = obese (95^th percentile or above).

^cAmount of sleep on an average weekday was rated on a 7-point scale: 1 = less than six hours, 2 = six hours, 3 = seven hours, 4 = eight hours, 5 = nine hours, 6 = ten hours, 7 = eleven or more hours.

^dNumber of days spent exercising, playing a sport, or engaging in physical activity for at least 60 minutes in the past week was rated on a 4-point scale: 1 = zero days, 2 = one to three days, 3 = four to six days, 4 = every day.

^eSelf-regulation was assessed using three positive health items to assess self-regulation of behaviors, emotions, and learning. Parents rated each item on a 3-point scale (1 = not true, 2 = somewhat true, 3 = definitely true).

Table 2. Regression coefficients for media use (computers, cell phones, handheld video games, etc.) in adolescents (11–17 years).

	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3		Model 4
	B (SE)	β	B (SE)	β	B (SE)	β	B (SE)	β
Process factors
Having meals together	−.229 (.010)	−.152***					−.126 (.012)	−.083***
Sharing ideas with parents	−.177 (.015)	−.082***					−.084 (.018)	−.038***
Participation in school activities	−.145 (.009)	−.113***					−.060 (.011)	−.046***
Participation in community service	−.096 (.019)	−.036***					−.216 (.022)	−.081***
Parent participation in child’s events	−.058 (.009)	−.043***					.005 (.011)	.003
Person factors
Age			.139 (.004)	.212***			.141 (.005)	.217***
Sex (1 = male, 2 = female)			.046 (.017)	.018**			.110 (.020)	.043***
Ethnicity^1
Hispanic			.101 (.027)	.024***			.062 (.034)	.014
Black			.251 (.035)	.045***			.171 (.052)	.025***
Other			−.004 (.026)	−.001			.003 (.030)	.001
BMI^2
Normal weight			−.009 (.027)	−.003			−.005 (.033)	−.002
Overweight			.106 (.033)	.028**			.090 (.040)	.024***
Obese			.152 (.034)	.038***			.078 (.043)	.018
Sleep			−.098 (.008)	−.080***			−.072 (.009)	−.061***
Physical activity			−.180 (.010)	−.115***			−.133 (.012)	−.090***
Self-regulation			−.173 (.015)	−.080***			.077 (.029)	.035**
Anxiety^3
Ever told, but do not currently have			.194 (.062)	.020***			.158 (.074)	.016*
Currently have condition			.021 (.031)	.005			−.034 (.037)	−.008
Depression^3
Ever told, but do not currently have			.136 (.063)	.014*			.077 (.079)	.007
Currently have condition			.164 (.040)	.031***			.066 (.051)	.011
Context factors
SES					.000 (.000)	.016*	.000 (.000)	−.013
Mother’s physical health					−.037 (.015)	−.025*	−.019 (.015)	−.013
Father’s physical health					−.098 (.015)	−.066***	−.062 (.015)	−.042***
Mother’s mental health					−.033 (.016)	−.022*	−.032 (.016)	−.021*
Father’s mental health					−.032 (.016)	−.021	−.012 (.016)	−.008
School safety					−.142 (.015)	−.054***	−.047 (.022)	−.018*
Neighborhood safety					.019 (.021)	.007	−.016 (.022)	−.006
Supportive neighborhood					−.071 (.025)	−.022**	.005 (.025)	.002
Parent emotional support					−.336 (.026)	−.105***	−.255 (.044)	−.080***
R^2	.164		.109		.036		.140
ΔF	303.239***		183.679***		68.810***		14.647***

Note: *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.

^aEthnicity was dummy coded with White as reference.

^bBMI was dummy coded with underweight as reference.

^cAnxiety and depression were dummy coded with “do not have condition” as reference.