Leisure-time Computer Use Research Articles

Bidirectional associations of sleep and discretionary screen time in adults: Longitudinal analysis of the UK biobank.

The direction of the association between discretionary screen time (DST) and sleep in the adult population is largely unknown. We examined the bidirectional associations of DST and sleep patterns in a longitudinal sample of adults in the general population. A total of 31,361 UK Biobank study participants (52% female, 56.1 ± 7.5 years) had two repeated measurements of discretionary screen time (TV viewing and leisure-time computer use) and self-reported sleep patterns (five sleep health characteristics) between 2012 and 2018 (follow-up period of 6.9 ± 2.2 years). We categorised daily DST into three groups (low, <3h/day; medium, 3-4h/day; and high, >4h/day), and calculated a sleep pattern composite score comprising morning chronotype, adequate sleep duration (7-8h/day), never or rare insomnia, never or rare snoring, and infrequent daytime sleepiness. The overall sleep pattern was categorised into three groups (healthy: ≥ 4; intermediate: 2-3; and poor: ≤ 1 healthy sleep characteristic). Multiple logistic regression analyses were applied to assess associations between DST and sleep with adjustments for potential confounders. Participants with either an intermediate (OR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.71) or a poor (OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.24) sleep pattern at baseline showed higher odds for high DST at follow-up, compared with those with a healthy baseline sleep pattern. Participants with medium (OR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.71) or high DST (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.30, 2.00) at baseline showed higher odds for poor sleep at follow-up, compared with participants with a low DST. In conclusion, our findings provide consistent evidence that a high DST at baseline is associated with poor sleep over a nearly 7 year follow-up period, and vice versa.

History of child maltreatment and excessive dietary and screen time behaviors in young adults: Results from a nationally representative study

Child maltreatment is common and has been associated with substance use addictions, yet few studies have examined associations with potentially addictive dietary and screen time behaviors. The goal of this study was to assess associations between retrospectively self-reported child maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect) and excessive self-reported dietary (sugar sweetened beverage and fast food consumption) and screen time behaviors (television/video watching and leisure time computer use) in early adulthood, overall and by sex and race/ethnicity. Associations were examined using data from 10,813 participants 24–32 years old from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. We used predicted marginal proportions accounting for the complex sample design to obtain prevalence ratios (PRs) and adjusted for demographic characteristics and physical activity. In females, exposure to poly-maltreatment (2+ types of child maltreatment) was associated with excessive sugar sweetened beverage consumption, television/video watching, and leisure time computer use; in males, exposure to poly-maltreatment was associated with excessive sugar sweetened beverage consumption, television/video watching, and fast food consumption. Some associations were particularly strong in racial/ethnic minorities, especially Latina females (poly-maltreatment-sugar sweetened beverage association: aPR = 6.14, 95% CI:2.12, 17.75; poly-maltreatment-computer use association: aPR = 3.08, 95% CI:1.44, 6.58). These findings show that child maltreatment is associated with excessive dietary and screen time behaviors into adulthood, and these associations are present in racial/ethnic groups at high risk of cardiometabolic disease. Extension of an addiction paradigm to include dietary and screen time behaviors may inform health risks and disease prevention efforts in child maltreatment survivors.

Occupational, Transport, Leisure-Time, and Overall Sedentary Behaviors and Their Associations with the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease among High-Tech Company Employees.

This study examined the associations of overall and domain-specific (i.e., occupational, transport, and leisure-time) sedentary behaviors with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among high-tech company employees in Taiwan. A total of 363 participants employed at high-tech companies (mean age ± standard deviation: 37.4 ± 7.2 years) completed a questionnaire administered by email regarding their overall, occupational, transport, and leisure-time sedentary behaviors. Self-reported data of height and weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and total cholesterol levels were also collected in 2018. An adjusted binary logistic regression model was employed in the analysis. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, high-tech company employees who used a computer (or Internet) for more than 2 h per day during their leisure time were more likely to have CVD risk factors (odds ratio: 1.80; 95% confidence interval: 1.08–3.00). No significant associations with CVD risk factors were detected for total sedentary time, occupational sitting, television viewing time, and transport-related sitting. Despite the nature of cross-sectional design in this study, our findings may have considerable implications for intervention designers and policymakers of Taiwan. Developing effective strategies for limiting leisure-time computer use should be considered for the prevention of CVD among high-tech company employees.

Association of screen time and physical activity with health-related quality of life in Iranian children and adolescents

BackgroundHealth-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a multidimensional concept with significant effects and children and adolescence; while physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) have been suggested as its probable predictors. Present study aims to investigate the association of PA, ST and their combination, with HRQoL in a nationally-representative sample of Iranian children and adolescents.MethodsAs for the estimated sample size, 25,000 students aged 6–18 years were selected via multi-stage cluster sampling from 30 provinces of Iran. Sociodemographic data was obtained by using the questionnaire of the World Health Organization-Global school based student health survey (GSHS). Persian Pediatric Quality of Life inventory (PedsQL) and Physical Activity Questionnaire for the pediatric age group (PAQ-A) were applied for evaluating HRQoL and PA, respectively. PA scores 1–1.9 and 2–5 were respectively considered as low and high PA. The average duration of time spent on watching TV and leisure time computer use were considered as ST behaviors. ST of less than 2 h was considered low.ResultsOut of 25,000 invited individuals, 23,043 students (mean age: 12.5) completed the study (response rate: 92.17%). In linear regression models, ST duration had significant inverse association with total QoL (β: − 0.49, p < 0.05). PA showed positive significant associations with HRQoL total score (β: 1.8, p < 0.05). Joint association of PA and ST revealed the strongest association of “high PA-low ST” category with total HRQoL (β: 2.2, p < 0.05); while “high PA-high ST” showed better total HRQoL score (β: 1.3) compared to “low PA-low ST” subgroup.ConclusionBoth PA and ST are significantly and independently associated with HRQoL in Iranian children and adolescents; while the adverse effect of prolonged ST could be diminished by a high PA.

Results of a 2-year randomized, controlled obesity prevention trial: Effects on diet, activity and sleep behaviors in an at-risk young adult population

Excess weight gain tends to occur in young adulthood. However, research examining effective weight-related interventions for this age group has been limited. As one of seven trials in the EARLY Trials consortium (Early Adult Reduction of weight through LifestYle intervention), the CHOICES Study (Choosing Healthy Options in College Environments and Settings) tested effects of a technology-integrated, young adult weight gain prevention intervention. It was a randomized controlled trial with assessments at baseline (2011) and 4-, 12- and 24-months post-intervention initiation and included 441 participants (ages 18–35) who were students at three Minnesota community colleges. The 24-month intervention included a 1-credit academic course and social networking and support online intervention. This analysis examined effects on 12 secondary behavioral outcomes across three domains: diet (fast food, sugary beverages, breakfast, at-home meal preparation), physical activity/screen time (minutes and energy expenditure in leisure time physical activity, television viewing, leisure time computer use) and sleep (hours of sleep, time required to fall asleep, days not getting enough rest, difficulty staying awake). The intervention resulted in significant reductions in fast food (p=0.007) but increases in difficulty staying awake (p=0.015). There was limited evidence of other behavior changes at 4months (0.05<p<0.1) in the expected direction but differences by treatment condition dissipated over time. Analyses examining summary treatment effects (i.e., modeling effects on all behavioral outcomes simultaneously) indicated significant overall effects (p=0.014), largely driven by 4-month results (p=0.005). Additional research is needed to understand effective obesity prevention among young adults, particularly when addressing multiple weight-related outcomes.

PROPENSITY SCORE APPLICATION IN THE RELATIONSHIP OF SCREEN TIME AND METABOLIC SYNDROME IN ADOLESCENTS: THE CASPIAN-III STUDY

Aim: This study aimed to assess the relationship of screen time and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Iranian adolescents. Materials and Methods In this nationwide study, the propensity score (PS) was used in a matched case-control study design. The data was obtained from 5,625 students aged 10-18 years, who participated in a national schoolbased surveillance program. MetS was defined according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). In addition, the continuous MetS score (cMetS) was calculated and the best cutpoint for cMetS was selected based on the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve estimate of sensibility and specificity. Data analysis was performed by a conditional logistic regression in 2014. Results Screen time increased the risk of MetS by 44% with a near significant P- value (P=0.052). The time spent on computer during leisure time was significantly associated with MetS and waist circumference (P<0.05). Moreover, the time spent on watching TV had significant relationship with elevated serum triglyceride levels (P<0.05). Conclusion The current findings serve as confirmatory evidence on the adverse health effects of prolonged ST, including the association of leisure time computer use with increase in the risk of MetS and excess weight, as well as the relationship of the time spent on watching TV with serum triglycerides levels. Reducing sedentary leisure time activity, notably ST, should be considered as a health priority for the pediatric age group.

Leisure time computer use and overweight development in young adults--a prospective study.

BackgroundThe prevalence of overweight among Swedish young adults has nearly doubled since the 1980s. The weight increase has been paralleled by the increased use of computers at work, at school, and at leisure time. The aim was to examine leisure time computer use for gaming, and for emailing/chatting, in relation to overweight development in young adults.MethodsA prospective cohort study with Swedish young adults (20–24 years at baseline) who responded to a questionnaire at baseline (n = 6735), and after 1 year (n = 3928) and 5 years (n = 2593). Exposure variables were average daily time spent on leisure time computer gaming and emailing/chatting. Logistic regression was performed for cross-sectional analyses with overweight (BMI ≥ 25) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) as the outcomes, and for prospective analyses with new cases of overweight at the 1- and 5-year follow-ups. Change in BMI from baseline to 5 year-follow-up was analyzed with linear regression.ResultsThere were cross-sectional and prospective associations between computer gaming and overweight (BMI ≥ 25) in women, after adjusting for age, occupation, physical activity, sleep, social support, and total computer use. For the men, only cross-sectional associations could be seen. Spending more than 2 h daily for emailing and chatting was related cross-sectionally to overweight in the women. No clear prospective associations were found for emailing/chatting and overweight development in either sex.ConclusionsWe have identified a new risk group for overweight development: young adult female computer gamers. Leisure time computer gaming was a prospective risk factor for overweight in women even after adjusting for demographic and lifestyle factors, but not in men. There were no clear prospective associations between computer use for emailing/chatting and overweight in either sex.

Leisure time computer use and adolescent bone health—findings from the Tromsø Study, Fit Futures: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesLow levels of physical activity may have considerable negative effects on bone health in adolescence, and increasing screen time in place of sporting activity during growth is worrying. This study...

Past-day recall of sedentary time: Validity of a self-reported measure of sedentary time in a university population.

To assess the validity of the Past-day Adults' Sedentary Time-University (PAST-U) questionnaire, modified for a university population, compared with activPAL. Participants (n=57, age=18-55 years, 47% female, 65% students) were recruited from the University of Queensland (students and staff). Participants answered the PAST-U questionnaire, which asked about time spent sitting or lying down for work, study, travel, television viewing, leisure-time computer use, reading, eating, socialising and other purposes, during the previous day. Times reported for these questions were summed to provide a measure of total sedentary time. Participants also wore an activPAL device for the full day prior to completing the questionnaire and recorded their wake and sleep times in an activity log. Total waking sedentary time derived from the activPAL was used as the criterion measure. Correlation (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC) and agreement (Bland-Altman plots) between PAST-U and activPAL sedentary time were examined. Participants were sedentary (activPAL-determined) for 66% of waking hours. The correlation between PAST-U and activPAL sedentary time for the whole sample was ICC=0.64 [95% confidence interval (CI)=0.45, 0.77]; and higher for non-students (ICC=0.78, 95%CI 0.52, 0.91) than students (ICC=0.59, 95%CI 0.33, 0.77). Bland-Altman plots revealed that the mean difference between the two measures was 5min although limits of agreement were wide (95% limits of agreement: -3.9 to 4.1h). The PAST-U provides an acceptable measure of sedentary time in this population, which included students and adults with high workplace sitting time.

Past-day recall of sedentary time: Validity of a self-reported measure of sedentary time in a university population

Objectives - To assess the validity of the Past-day Adults’ Sedentary Time-University (PAST-U) questionnaire, modified for a university population, compared with activPAL. Design - Participants (n = 57, age = 18–55 years, 47% female, 65% students) were recruited from the University of Queensland (students and staff). Methods - Participants answered the PAST-U questionnaire, which asked about time spent sitting or lying down for work, study, travel, television viewing, leisure-time computer use, reading, eating, socialising and other purposes, during the previous day. Times reported for these questions were summed to provide a measure of total sedentary time. Participants also wore an activPAL device for the full day prior to completing the questionnaire and recorded their wake and sleep times in an activity log. Total waking sedentary time derived from the activPAL was used as the criterion measure. Correlation (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC) and agreement (Bland–Altman plots) between PAST-U and activPAL sedentary time were examined. Results - Participants were sedentary (activPAL-determined) for 66% of waking hours. The correlation between PAST-U and activPAL sedentary time for the whole sample was ICC = 0.64 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.45, 0.77]; and higher for non-students (ICC = 0.78, 95%CI 0.52, 0.91) than students (ICC = 0.59, 95%CI 0.33, 0.77). Bland-Altman plots revealed that the mean difference between the two measures was 5 min although limits of agreement were wide (95% limits of agreement: −3.9 to 4.1 h). Conclusions - The PAST-U provides an acceptable measure of sedentary time in this population, which included students and adults with high workplace sitting time.

Development and testing of a past year measure of sedentary behavior: the SIT-Q.

BackgroundMost sedentary behavior measures focus on occupational or leisure-time sitting. Our aim was to develop a comprehensive measure of adult sedentary behavior and establish its measurement properties.MethodThe SIT-Q was developed through expert review (n = 7), cognitive interviewing (n = 11) and pilot testing (n = 34). A convenience sample of 82 adults from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, participated in the measurement property study. Test-retest reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) comparing two administrations of the SIT-Q conducted one month apart. Convergent validity was established using Spearman’s rho, by comparing the SIT-Q estimates of sedentary behaviour with values derived from a 7-Day Activity Diary.ResultsThe SIT-Q exhibited good face validity and acceptability during pilot testing. Within the measurement property study, the ICCs for test-retest reliability ranged from 0.31 for leisure-time computer use to 0.86 for occupational sitting. Total daily sitting demonstrated substantial correlation (ICC = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.78). In terms of convergent validity, correlations varied from 0.19 for sitting during meals to 0.76 for occupational sitting. For total daily sitting, estimates derived from the SIT-Q and 7 Day Activity Diaries were moderately correlated (ρ = 0.53, p < 0.01).ConclusionThe SIT-Q has acceptable measurement properties for use in epidemiologic studies.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-899) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Family Context of Low-Income Parents Who Restrict Child Screen Time

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents restrict child screen time to two hours per day, but many preschool-aged children exceed this viewing recommendation. Modifying children's viewing habits will require collaborating with parents, but little is known about the factors that influence parents' capacity for effective screen-related parenting. This study aimed to identify the demographic, family and community contextual factors associated with low-income parents' restriction of child screen time. Parents (N=146) of children (age 2-5 years) attending Head Start centers in the United States completed a self-report survey in 2010 assessing parent and child screen use (television, DVD, video, video games, and leisure-time computer use), parent restriction of child screen time, and family (parent stress, social support, and life pressures) and community (neighborhood safety and social capital) factors. Children were more likely to meet the American Academy of Pediatrics screen time recommendation if their parent reported high restriction of child screen time. Parent and child demographic characteristics were not associated with parents' restriction of child screen time. In multivariate analysis, less parent screen time, fewer parent life pressures, and greater social support were associated with parents' high restriction of screen time. Family contextual factors may play an important role in enabling low-income parents to restrict their children's screen time. When counseling low-income parents about the importance of restricting child screen time, practitioners should be sensitive to family contextual factors that may influence parents' capacity to implement this behavior change.

Cross-sectional associations of total sitting and leisure screen time with cardiometabolic risk in adults. Results from the HUNT Study, Norway

To examine associations of total sitting time, TV-viewing and leisure-time computer use with cardiometabolic risk biomarkers in adults. Population based cross-sectional study. Waist circumference, BMI, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, non-fasting glucose, gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) and triglycerides were measured in 48,882 adults aged 20 years or older from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 2006-2008 (HUNT3). Adjusted multiple regression models were used to test for associations between these biomarkers and self-reported total sitting time, TV-viewing and leisure-time computer use in the whole sample and by cardiometabolic disease status sub-groups. In the whole sample, reporting total sitting time ≥10 h/day was associated with poorer BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, non-fasting glucose, GGT and triglyceride levels compared to those reporting total sitting time <4h/day (all p<0.05). TV-viewing ≥4 h/day was associated with poorer BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, GGT and triglycerides compared to TV-viewing <1h/day (all p<0.05). Leisure-time computer use ≥1 h/day was associated with poorer BMI, total cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure, GGT and triglycerides compared with those reporting no leisure-time computing. Sub-group analyses by cardiometabolic disease status showed similar patterns in participants free of cardiometabolic disease, while similar albeit non-significant patterns were observed in those with cardiometabolic disease. Total sitting time, TV-viewing and leisure-time computer use are associated with poorer cardiometabolic risk profiles in adults. Reducing sedentary behaviour throughout the day and limiting TV-viewing and leisure-time computer use may have health benefits.

Temporal trends in non-occupational sedentary behaviours from Australian Time Use Surveys 1992, 1997 and 2006

BackgroundCurrent epidemiological data highlight the potential detrimental associations between sedentary behaviours and health outcomes, yet little is known about temporal trends in adult sedentary time. This study used time use data to examine population trends in sedentary behaviours in non-occupational domains and more specifically during leisure time.MethodsWe conducted secondary analysis of population representative data from the Australian Time Use Surveys 1992, 1997 and 2006 involving respondents aged 20 years and over with completed time use diaries for two days. Weighted samples for each survey year were: n = 5851 (1992), n = 6419 (1997) and n = 5505 (2006). We recoded all primary activities by domain (sleep, occupational, transport, leisure, household, education) and intensity (sedentary, light, moderate). Adjusted multiple linear regressions tested for differences in time spent in non-occupational sedentary behaviours in 1992 and 1997 with 2006 as the reference year.ResultsTotal non-occupational sedentary time was slightly lower in 1997 than in 2006 (mean = 894 min/2d and 906 min/2d, respectively; B = −11.2; 95%CI: -21.5, -0.9). Compared with 2006, less time was spent in 1997 in sedentary transport (B-6.7; 95%CI: -10.4, -3.0) and sedentary education (B = −6.3; 95%CI: -10.5, -2.2) while household and leisure sedentary time remained stable. Time engaged in different types of leisure-time sedentary activities changed between 1997 and 2006: leisure-time computer use increased (B = −26.7; 95%CI: -29.5, -23.8), while other leisure-time sedentary behaviours (e.g., reading, listening to music, hobbies and crafts) showed small concurrent reductions. In 1992, leisure screen time was lower than in 2006: TV-viewing (B = −24.2; 95%CI: -31.2, -17.2), computer use (B = −35.3; 95%CI: -37.7, -32.8). In 2006, 90 % of leisure time was spent sedentary, of which 53 % was screen time.ConclusionsNon-occupational sedentary time has increased slightly from 1997 to 2006 in the Australian adult population. This seems to be the result of small increases in sedentary transport and education time while sedentary household and leisure time were stable over this time period. However, almost all leisure time is spent sedentary and the composition of sedentary leisure time changed between 1992 and 2006 towards a larger proportion being screen-based activities. This could be an important observation for public health, as most of the evidence on the detrimental effects of sedentary behaviour is around watching television and health.

Leisure and the Internet: Mood states of the elderly during their first Internet contact

It seems clear that in developing countries, personal and social barriers affect equal opportunities for accessing new technologies in the leisure area, especially when focusing on the elderly. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in mood states among a sample of elderly people during their first leisure time Internet access. The LEA-RI (Revised and Illustrated Mood State List) instrument and a survey were used to gather before-and-after data from a purposive sample of 100 elderly of both sexes who were participants in a program introducing leisure time computer use to the elderly in Rio Claro, Brazil. The results showed that before initiating access, a mood state of fear was indicated by 91 per cent of participants, agitation and nervousness by 7 per cent, and timidity by 3 per cent. Following the session, these unpleasant feelings were replaced, in the case of 85 per cent of participants, by positive mood states like light, active and happy. Overcoming the challenge improved self-esteem and feelings of joy. In the case of 15 per cent of respondents, while the importance of the experience was highlighted, difficulties in handling the language and tools and expressions of a desire to give up, were present. We conclude that the virtual environment and Internet use can promote knowledge of new codes, symbols, and a specific language, and that this experience impacts on the psychological state of the elderly, changing mood states from negative to positive.

Longitudinal and Secular Trends in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior During Adolescence

There is little epidemiologic research on longitudinal and secular trends in weight-related health behaviors throughout the stages of adolescence. In particular, few data are available to assess secular trends in various sedentary behaviors. The objective of this research was to investigate longitudinal and secular trends in physical activity and sedentary behavior in a large, diverse cohort of adolescents. Project EAT-II is a 5-year longitudinal study (N = 2516) that includes 2 cohorts that allow for the observation of longitudinal changes from early to midadolescence (junior high to high school; n = 806; mean baseline age: 12.8 +/- 0.8 years) and mid- to late adolescence (high school to post-high school; n = 1710; mean baseline age: 15.8 +/- 0.8 years). EAT-II also examined secular trends in health behavior from 1999 to 2004 in midadolescence. The main outcome measures of the mixed-model regression analyses used in this research were self-reported weekly hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity, television/video viewing, and leisure-time computer use. Our findings indicate substantial longitudinal changes in moderate to vigorous physical activity, particularly among girls (decreasing 5.9-4.9 hours/week from early to midadolescence and 5.1-3.5 hours/week from mid- to late adolescence), and leisure-time computer use, particularly among boys (increasing 11.4-15.2 hours/week from early to midadolescence and 10.4-14.2 hours/week from mid- to late adolescence). Secular trends further indicate dramatic increases in midadolescent computer use from 1999 to 2004; girls increased from 8.8 to 11.1 hours/week, and boys increased from 10.4 to 15.2 hours/week. These adolescents experienced unfavorable shifts in activity patterns, such as longitudinal decreases in moderate to vigorous physical activity, coupled with longitudinal and secular increases in leisure-time computer use. Developing effective health promotion strategies that address a wide array of changing behavioral patterns will be important in promoting long-term health and active lifestyles among adolescents and young adults.