Association Between Screen Time and Delayed Speech Among Children Under Speech Therapy at a Rehabilitation Center in Islamabad, Pakistan

Excessive screen time is a growing concern for child development, particularly language acquisition. This study investigated the relationship between screen time and speech delay in Pakistani children aged 2-6 years receiving speech therapy. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at a rehabilitation center in Islamabad from April to May 2024. A sample of 80 children was recruited via consecutive sampling. Data on demographics and screen time were collected via questionnaire, and speech delay was assessed using the Blank Level of Questions tool. The mean age of participants was 4.57 years (±1.24). Most were male (61.3%), from urban (72.5%) and high-income (80%) backgrounds. The majority (58.75%) had severe screen exposure (>2 hours/day). A highly significant correlation was found between screen time and the degree of speech delay (χ²=69.073, p<0.001). Critically, only children in the severe screen time category are presented with the most severe speech impairments (Levels III and IV). These results underscore a strong association between excessive screen time and delayed speech severity, highlighting an urgent need for public health campaigns and parental education to limit screen exposure in young children.