Samenvatting

This study examines trends in children’s screen time and outdoor play between 2014-2022, and differences herein between pre, mid and post-Covid-19. Data was collected via yearly questionnaires among pupils grade 3-6 (Mage = 10.09±1.27 years; n=7745 questionnaires). MANCOVA (sex + age as covariate) showed that screen time significantly increased from 8.9% of the children having screen time ≥ 3 h/day in 2014 to 28.9% in 2022 (F=59.3, p < .05). Post-hoc comparisons showed significantly less screen time in years pre-Covid-19 and significant more mid-Covid-19 (2021) compared to post-Covid-19 (all p < .05). There was a decreasing trend in the amount of daily outdoor play; from 40% of the children in 2014 to 36.7% in 2022, with a drop during Covid-19 (28.2%). Altogether, children increased their amount of screen time and decreased their hours of outdoor play during the past years. Although these trends seem to have peaked during Covid-19, they slowly seem to be returning to pre-Covid levels.