Abstract

Objective: First purpose of the current study is to compare the duration of electronic media usage of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with healthy controls. Second aim is to investigate the effects of electronic media use on quality of life (QoL) in both groups.
Methods: Ninety-nine individuals aged between 6 and 18, diagnosed with ADHD after psychiatric examination, were investigated with regard to electronic media usage duration and QoL and compared with control group.
Results: No significant difference was found between groups regarding average daily electronic media usage (ADHD group 5.42±4.08 hours, control group 5.60±4.68 hours; z=0.30, p=0.762) except for tablet use which was higher in the control group. Adolescents used computers and cell phones significantly more than pre-adolescent children. Tablet usage duration is found to have a negative relationship with school QoL (r=-0.399, p

Key words: Electronic media, quality of life, children, adolescent, ADHD