Measuring how much time children spend on screens using wearable sensors
Official title: Assessing Children's Screen Time with Wearable Sensor
Funded at The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology · NIH-10659471 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how much time kids aged 0-11 spend in front of screens by using special sensors to get accurate measurements, so we can better understand how screen time affects their health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hoboken, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2022 |
| Award (this year) | $181,628 |
| NIH project number | 7R21HD104164-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10659471 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years who are exposed to screens regularly.
✕Less likely to help
Children who do not use screens or have limited screen exposure may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the impact of screen time on children's health by using wearable sensors to objectively measure their screen exposure. It aims to address the limitations of current methods, which often rely on self-reporting or invasive technologies. By employing advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence, the study seeks to provide accurate data on children's screen time across various devices. This information will help understand the relationship between screen exposure and health outcomes in children aged 0-11 years.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better guidelines and interventions to reduce screen time and improve health outcomes for children.
How similar studies have gone: While there is ongoing research into screen time and health, this approach using wearable sensors is relatively novel and has not been widely tested.
Where this research is happening
-
The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gan, Yu — The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Gan, Yu
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.