Abstract
Objective:To assess longitudinal associations between screen-based media use (television (TV) and computer hours, having a TV in the bedroom) and body fatness among UK children.Methods:Participants were 12 556 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study who were followed from age 7 to age 11 years. Associations were assessed between screen-based media use and the following outcomes: body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI), and overweight.Results:In fully adjusted models, having a bedroom TV at age 7 years was associated with significantly higher BMI and FMI (excess BMI for boys=0.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06–0.52; excess BMI for girls=0.57, 95% CI 0.31–0.84; excess FMI for boys=0.20, 95% CI 0.04–0.37; excess FMI for girls=0.39, 95% CI 0.21–0.57) and increased risk of being overweight (relative risk (RR) for boys=1.21, 95% CI 1.07–1.36; RR for girls=1.31, 95% CI 1.15–1.48) at age 11 years, compared with having no bedroom TV. Hours spent watching TV or digital versatile disks were associated with increased risk of overweight among girls only. Computer use at age 7 years was not related to later body fatness for either gender.Conclusion:Having a TV in the child’s bedroom was an independent risk factor for overweight and increased body fatness in this nationally representative sample of UK children. Childhood obesity prevention strategies should consider TVs in children’s bedrooms as a risk factor for obesity.
Highlights
Screen-based media have a central role in the lives of today’s children
We examine longitudinal associations between children’s screen based media use at age 7 years and their body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI) and overweight status at age 11 years while adjusting for a wide range of covariates
Average BMI and FMI, as well as prevalence of overweight, were higher among children who had a TV in the bedroom and among children who spent more time watching TV or digital versatile disk (DVD) at age 7 years (Table 1)
Summary
Screen-based media have a central role in the lives of today’s children. At the same time, rising childhood obesity levels are a national and global public health concern.[4] In 2014/15, a third of 11-yearold children in England were overweight and almost a fifth were obese.[5] Ironically, while our screens have become flatter, our children have become fatter. A relationship between TV viewing and overweight among children and adolescents has been repeatedly reported.[6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13] There is some evidence that a TV in the child’s bedroom might exacerbate the problem.[8,14,15] Potential pathways include snacking/eating calorie-dense foods while watching TV,[16,17,18,19] exposure to food advertising and product placement[16,17,20] and reduced or disrupted sleep.[21,22,23,24,25] An association between screen time and reduced physical activity is often hypothesized but empirical evidence has been contradictory.[12,26,27,28]
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