Innovation fund of the Joint Federal Committee supports the project "Screen-free - Be there!"
New form of care in paediatric and adolescent practices for the prevention & treatment of dysregulated screen media use
Many children today spend significantly more time in front of screens than is good for their healthy development – a trend that is increasingly preoccupying medicine and research. In November 2025, the Germany-wide, cluster-randomized intervention study “Screen-free – Join in!” will start. The aim is to prevent screen-related health problems in children aged three and above. The study was initiated by the Chair of Medical Theory, Integrative and Anthroposophic Medicine at the University of Witten/Herdecke (UW/H). The chair is working closely with BVKJ-Service GmbH (a wholly owned subsidiary of the Professional Association of Pediatricians), the BKK Landesverband Bayern (Bavarian State Association of Health Insurance Funds), and the Institute for Community Medicine at Greifswald University Hospital.
High media consumption and the associated long screen time have a negative impact on children's development. Research findings link excessive screen use to the following health problems, among others:
- Cognitive and (fine) motor abnormalities,
- (Pre-)obesity (mild to severe overweight),
- cardiovascular diseases,
- socio-emotional behavioral abnormalities such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, or aggression,
- sleep problems,
- myopia and
- diabetes mellitus.
The selective contract-based study “Screen-free – join in!” aims to support parents in keeping their children's screen time to a healthy level. At the same time, the study aims to identify early, unregulated screen time, provide guidance on responsible media use, and offer everyday alternatives and support services.
During the U7a pediatric examination, parents receive a sticker for the yellow health record book (U-Heft) with the three most important recommendations for children's screen media use. For children with recognizable uncontrolled media use, specially trained pediatricians offer 15 minutes of intensive media coaching for parents.
The effectiveness of the measures is being scientifically examined from three perspectives:
- How are screen time and media behavior changing? To this end, parents regularly answer short questions via the smartphone app “Meine pädiatrische Praxis” (My Pediatric Practice).
- How well can the study be integrated into everyday practice? The team systematically examines how the implementation is succeeding in pediatric and adolescent medical practices and where improvements are needed.
- What health consequences and costs play a role? To this end, the study evaluates routine data from families insured by the BKK health insurance fund in order to record the use of medical services and relevant diagnoses (ICD-10).
The study “Screen-free – Be part of it!” follows on from the “Screen-free until three” project and builds in part on the findings obtained, but is designed and conducted as an independent study.
