Trends in Recreational Computer Use Among Latino Children in California

In this study we examine differential trends in recreational computer use among Latino and white children in California. We analyzed data from the children’s sample (age 4–11) of the 2001 and 2009 California Health Interview Survey. Multivariate analysis was used to estimate the impact of language spoken at home, income and parental education, on recreational computer use. Latino children had substantially lower recreational computer use in 2001, compared to whites, but by 2009 the gap had almost disappeared. Among Latinos, compared to families where English is spoken exclusively, recreational computer use was substantially lower in families where Spanish is spoken exclusively. Parental education and income were significantly associated with recreational computer use, but only among Latinos, and the association with parental education changed from 2001 to 2009, explaining some of the difference in trend between Latino and white children.