Pubertal development and screen time among South Korean adolescents: testing body mass index and psychological well-being as mediators

Background This study tested links between pubertal development and screen time among South Korean adolescent boys and girls. Methods Secondary analysis was conducted on data from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Study (KCYPS) involving 2071 adolescents (age M = 13.14 years). Body mass index (BMI) at Grade 8 (baseline), self-esteem and depression at Grade 9 were examined as mediators of the relationship between pubertal development and screen time after adjusting for household income and academic performance. Structural equation modeling was used to assess direct and indirect pathways between pubertal development at Grade 8 and screen time at Grade 9. Results No direct effect of pubertal development on screen time was found. But, an indirect effect existed for boys from pubertal development to screen time through BMI. Earlier pubertal development predicted higher BMI, and in turn, higher BMI predicted more time spent in screen time. Among girls, pubertal development negatively predicted BMI; however, no mediation effect of BMI between pubertal development and screen time was observed. No mediation effect of self-esteem or depression was found among boys or girls. Conclusions Pubertal development appears to have an indirect influence on screen time through BMI for South Korean boys. More studies examining potential pathways between pubertal development and sedentary behavior are needed to build on these findings.