Parenting of schoolchildren's television viewing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Although children are increasingly being exposed to television in Ethiopia, much is unknown about related parental responses. This study investigated parenting practices associated with schoolchildren's television viewing, with a focus on parental concern and mediation strategies. Three hundred and eighty-seven parents of primary schoolchildren (grades 1 through 4; M-age = 9.6 years, SD = 1.81; age: 6 to 15 years) attending six schools in Addis Ababa, completed a validated measure of concern and mediation. Results indicated that children viewed on average 2.32 h (SD +/- 1.70) of television per day, and parents reported a moderate level of concern about the negative effects of television on children. The study further showed that parents mostly used restrictive mediation over instructive and co-viewing practices. Regression analysis showed that while demographic variables, together with child and parent viewing hours, significantly predicted all three mediation practices, parental concern significantly predicted restrictive and instructive mediations but not co-viewing. As children's television exposure has become an emerging societal concern in Ethiopia, future research is recommended for contextualized understanding and intervention.