506 - Associations between parental technology rule adherence and adolescent anxiety

In recent years, the prevalence of anxiety has increased to approximately 20% of adolescents. Problematic technology use has been associated with anxiety, especially among girls and youth of color. It is unclear how parental technology rules affect adolescent anxiety.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between parental technology rule adherence and adolescent anxiety.

Design/Methods: Adolescents aged 13-18 were recruited to this cross-sectional study from Qualtrics panels in 2021. Participants completed an online survey including 11 statements regarding parental technology rules, of which four related to rule adherence. These statements were modeled after the AAP’s Family Media Use Plan, (e.g., My parents talk to me about my digital technology and social media use). Responses were via a 7-point Likert scale and dichotomized into agree/disagree to ascertain specific rule adherence or summed to determine overall rule engagement (higher scores=greater engagement). Anxiety was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale. Independent t-tests examined whether adherence to specific technology rules was associated with anxiety scores. Linear regression assessed overall rule engagement and association with anxiety scores. Moderation analyses determined the effects of gender and race/ethnicity.

Results: This study included 2,196 adolescents who had a mean age of 15.9 (SD=1.8) and were 50% female and 47% White. Overall, 39% of adolescents reported having no anxiety, 29% mild, 19% moderate, and 13% severe. About 18% of adolescents followed all four rules. The most followed rule with 48% adherence was, “I follow rules about avoiding screens during meal time.” Adherence to each specific technology rule was associated with decreased anxiety scores, p < .05, (Table 1). Greater overall rule engagement was negatively associated with anxiety scores, β = -.050, p</em> < .001. Gender (β = .071, p < .001) and race/ethnicity (β = .041, p < .023) moderated this relationship, such that the association was significant for female and White adolescents, but not male and Black adolescents (Figure 1).

Conclusion(s): Parental technology rule adherence was associated with decreased adolescent anxiety, and this effect was more pronounced for female and White adolescents. Pediatricians could emphasize the importance of parental technology rules, particularly among white female adolescents who are at increased risk for anxiety and may benefit from this approach.