Impact of School and Home-Based Strategies in Reducing Screen Time Among Pre-school Children: A Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial

This three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based and parent-based interventions in reducing daily screen time among 3–6-year-old preschool children in Akola city, Maharashtra. A total of 12 pre-primary schools will be randomly allocated to one of three groups: (1) Control group (no intervention other than educational module), (2) School Recommendations + Teacher Education, and (3) Parent Education via structured modules and workshops. The study will measure changes in daily screen exposure (primary outcome) and behavioural parameters such as attention span, social interaction, sleep patterns, and engagement in non-screen activities (secondary outcomes) at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. The sample size is 300 children (100 per arm), accounting for clustering effects. The trial includes capacity-building for teachers and awareness modules for parents, and it seeks to generate evidence-based strategies for promoting healthier screen habits in early childhood. Data will be analyzed using mixed-effect regression models and intention-to-treat analysis.