Screen Time Minutes Research Articles

Longitudinal associations of screen time, physical activity, and sleep duration with body mass index in U.S. youth

BackgroundYouth use different forms of screen time (e.g., streaming, gaming) that may be related to body mass index (BMI). Screen time is non-independent from other behaviors, including physical activity and sleep duration. Statistical approaches such as isotemporal substitution or compositional data analysis (CoDA) can model associations between these non-independent behaviors and health outcomes. Few studies have examined different types of screen time, physical activity, and sleep duration simultaneously in relation to BMI.MethodsData were baseline (2017–2018) and one-year follow-up (2018–2019) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a multi-site study of a nationally representative sample of U.S. youth (N = 10,544, mean [SE] baseline age = 9.9 [0.03] years, 48.9% female, 45.4% non-White). Participants reported daily minutes of screen time (streaming, gaming, socializing), physical activity, and sleep. Sex-stratified models estimated the association between baseline behaviors and follow-up BMI z-score, controlling for demographic characteristics, internalizing symptoms, and BMI z-score at baseline.ResultsIn females, isotemporal substitution models estimated that replacing 30 min of socializing (β [95% CI] = -0.03 [-0.05, -0.002]), streaming (-0.03 [-0.05, -0.01]), or gaming (-0.03 [-0.06, -0.01]) with 30 min of physical activity was associated with a lower follow-up BMI z-score. In males, replacing 30 min of socializing (-0.03 [-0.05, -0.01]), streaming (-0.02 [-0.03, -0.01]), or gaming (-0.02 [-0.03, -0.01]) with 30 min of sleep was associated with a lower follow-up BMI z-score. In males, replacing 30 min of socializing with 30 min of gaming was associated with a lower follow-up BMI z-score (-0.01 [-0.03, -0.0001]). CoDA estimated that in males, a greater proportion of time spent in baseline socializing, relative to the remaining behaviors, was associated with a higher follow-up BMI z-score (0.05 [0.02, 0.08]). In females, no associations between screen time and BMI were observed using CoDA.ConclusionsOne-year longitudinal associations between screen time and BMI may depend on form of screen time, what behavior it replaces (physical activity or sleep), and participant sex. The alternative statistical approaches yielded somewhat different results. Experimental manipulation of screen time and investigation of biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying the observed sex differences will allow for causal inference and can inform interventions.

'Hello Darkness, My Old Friend ': The Company of Music in a Cinema of (Shared) Loneliness

How have cinema's representations of loneliness changed over time, in keeping with the changing technological mediation of loneliness? What can these representations tell us about how the experience of loneliness is made sense of in everyday life? And, crucially, how has cinema's own technicity remediated loneliness in the process of representing it? In order to unpack some of these complexities, this article narrows its focus to a mere two minutes of screen time: the opening of The Graduate (1967), with its iconic representation of a lone character traversing Los Angeles International Airport to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel's 'The Sound of Silence'. The Graduate opens an important window into a particular sociohistorical moment when technologies, techniques, industry concerns and social conditions placed the audio-visual aesthetics of loneliness at the core of American cinema. I interpret this moment as the symbolic beginning of what Robert Kolker has termed 'a cinema of loneliness', a body of films that frequently featured solo drifters at plot level and that were made by directors working in isolation due to the collapse of the old Hollywood studio system. Notably, The Graduate forces us to deal with a fundamental aspect of the 'cinema of loneliness' that Kolker intentionally sidesteps: the use of preexisting popular music to offer a glimpse into a character's state of mind. Moving beyond the confines of film and narrative theory, and situating the film in broader histories of listening, cinema-going and audio technologies, I argue that the soundtrack of The Graduate reflected new ways of listening 'alone together' that were developing both within and without the cinema theatre. I show that the film employs music in a manner consistent with how transistor radios were being used and discussed in 1960s America, and I explore how – in the very process of placing loneliness at the centre of its audio-visual aesthetics – it enabled heavily mediated experiences of shared loneliness. More specifically, I propose that 'The Sound of Silence' is central not only to how The Graduate conveys loneliness but also to how the film provides a provisional and non-political way out of it.

In people with >20 minutes of screen time per day, are blue light–blocking glasses effective in decreasing eye strain?

Goettel, Courtney MD; Winters, Stella MD; Haugh, Amy MLS; DiPlacido, Amy J. MD, CWSP Author Information

Electronic gadget addiction among adolescents: Facts, impacts and measures to give up: A review article

Children spend a lot of their time on electronic screens, overtime and habitual use of these electronic gadgets which later lead to psychological and physical dependency can lead to addiction later on. Addiction to electronic devices has become a growing habitual problem among children and adolescents. The electronic addiction is wide spread problem among adolescents. Facts: Some of fascinating facts about electronic gadget addiction among American population are: 1) 26percent of accidents in American are linked with smartphone use. 26% of all car accidents in the US happen as the result of smartphone use. Compare camp reported that, over quarter of car accidents happen in USA is due to smartphone use while driving. Accordance to WHO, people use mobile phone are approximately four times more likely to be involved in accident than not using mobile 2) It show that teens in the US stare at a screen for 7 hours and 22 minutes a day. Younger children aged 8-12 spend an average of 4 hours and 44 minutes a day in front of screens. It is reported that people aged between 8 to 28 years spend 44.5 hours every week on electronic screen are most likely to have an addiction to electronic device. An average of 6 hours and 53 minutes spend on electronic device each day. This means that the world’s 5 billion internet users spend a combined total of more than 2 trillion minutes of screen time every single day. Impacts of Electronic gadget Addiction: Electronic gadget addiction is growing problem in children and society which has marked negative impacts on physical, mental and social health of children immensely. The physical impacts include, Damaged Eyesight, Hearing disturbance, Drastic Brain Development, Obesity, Violence, Radiation Exposure, Sleep Deprivation, the emotions impacts: Damaged Eyesight, Hearing disturbance, Drastic Brain Development, Obesity, Violence, Radiation Exposure, Sleep Deprivation. Conclusion: It was found that electronic gadget has detrimental impacts on Physical, mental, emotional development of children. Further interventional studies need to be carry out, to ensure abstinence from electronic gadget addiction.

Screen Time and Mental Health in Canadian Youth: An Examination of Nationally Representative Data.

As screens have become ubiquitous in modern-day society, investigating the effects of high screen time on mental health is highly warranted. In the past decade, many studies have determined that higher levels of screen time engagement are associated with adverse mental health outcomes like anxiety and depression. However, the nature of the relationship between screen time and mental health requires further investigation to gain a better understanding of its mechanisms and properties. The purpose of this study is to utilize a nationally representative data set to (1) examine how factors like sex, age, and socioeconomic status moderate the relationship between screen time and mental health in Canadian youth and (2) determine whether this relationship supports the Goldilocks hypothesis or an exposure-response curve. It was hypothesized that (1) young, female, lower socioeconomic status individuals will be more strongly associated with poor mental health, and that (2) mental health will peak at low screen time usage, therefore, supporting an exposure-response curve. A series of moderation analyses concluded that young, male, lower socioeconomic status individuals strongly moderated the relationship between screen time and poor mental health compared to their counterparts. Furthermore, three out of the four mental health (presence of mood disorder, presence of anxiety disorder, and depression severity) measures peaked at an average of 12 hours and 19 minutes of screen time per week, hence, supporting the exposure-response curve.

Adherence to Screen Time and Physical Activity Guidelines is Associated with Executive Function in US Toddlers Participating in the STRONG Kids 2 Birth Cohort Study

To test the hypothesis that healthy weight status and adherence to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for diet and physical activity would extend to greater executive function (EF) at age 24months. Parents of 24-month-old children from the STRONG Kids 2 cohort study (n=352) completed the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function for Preschoolers (BRIEF-P) and reported physical activities, diet, and screen time. Toddlers met AAP guidelines if they consumed at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, were physically active, refrained from sugar-sweetened beverages, and limited daily screen time to <60minutes. Relationships between EF, 24-month weight status, and meeting AAP guidelines were tested independent of child sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, weight status at birth, and maternal pregnancy weight status. Weight-for-length z-score had no effect on EF. Toddlers meeting the screen time guideline had greater EF (β, -0.125; 95% CI, 0.234 to -0.008), inhibitory self-control (β, -0.142; 95% CI, -0.248 to -0.029), and emergent metacognition (β, -0.111; 95% CI, -0.221 to 0.002), indicated by lower BRIEF-P scores. Those with more minutes of screen time had poorer overall EF (β, 0.257; 95% CI, 0.118-0.384), inhibitory self-control (β, 0.231; 95% CI, 0.099-0.354), cognitive flexibility (β, 0.217; 95% CI, 0.082-0.342), and emergent metacognition (β, 0.257; 95% CI, 0.120-0.381). Daily physical activity was associated with greater emergent metacognition (β, -0.116; 95% CI, -0.225 to -0.005). Meeting AAP guidelines for physical activity and screen time was related to greater EF in a demographically homogenous sample of toddlers. Future randomized control trials and more diverse samples are needed to confirm the directionality of this relationship. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03341858.

School and non-school day screen time profiles and their differences in health and educational indicators in adolescents.

Sedentary behavior and screen-based devices in particular have been negatively associated with a wide range of health and educational indicators. However, few have examined these relationships separately for school days and non-school days, and none have used a person-centered approach. This study aimed to identify school and non-school day screen time profiles, as well as examine possible differences in health indicators (physical fitness, fatness, physical activity, sleep duration, and Mediterranean diet) and academic performance. This study involved the participation of 1573 Spanish adolescents aged 12-16 years (54.73% girls). Academic performance was measured through grades in Mathematics, Language, English, and Physical Education. Physical fitness was measured through a battery of tests (cardiorespiratory fitness was measured using the 20 m shuttle run test, and muscular strength with both handgrip and standing long jump tests), while fatness (skinfold thicknesses) was assessed with calipers. Finally, physical activity, screen time, sleep duration, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet were measured using self-reported questionnaires. Hierarchical cluster analyses based on square Euclidian distances and Ward's method were performed based on daily minutes of screen time recorded on school and non-school days. We identified four clusters labeled and described as: (1) "High-high": highest screen time on school and non-school days; (2) "High-low": high screen time on school days and low screen time on non-school days; (3) "Low-high": low screen time on school days and high screen time on non-school days; (4) "Low-low": lowest screen time on school and non-school days. Adolescents who belonged to the "High-high" profile had worse health-related behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sleep duration, and adherence to Mediterranean diet) and academic performance than most other profiles, while adolescents who belonged to "Low-low" profile showed the opposite pattern. Adolescents in the "Low-high" profile had a higher sleep duration on school days and better academic performance than those in the "High-low" profile. No differences in body fat, cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscular strength were found between the four different profiles. The results suggest that adolescents who accumulated a large amount of screen time on school and non-school days reported worse health-related behaviors and academic performance. Moreover, adolescents who had high screen time on school days reported only a short sleep duration on school days and worse academic performance than on non-school days. Conducting interventions to reduce screen time in these four profiles, particularly in the groups of students with more screen time on school days, becomes essential to improving adolescents' healthy lifestyles and academic performance.

Screen time and physical activity in children and adolescents aged 10-15 years.

BackgroundPrevious research studies have demonstrated a relationship between low levels of physical activity and high amounts of screen time in children and adolescents. However, this is usually based on self-reported data. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between objectively measured smartphone screen time and physical activity among children and adolescents aged 10–15 years.MethodsDuring seven consecutive days, we objectively assessed smartphone screen time, using the SCRIIN smartphone application, and physical activity, using the SCRIIN activity tracker, in children and adolescents recruited from two schools in Stockholm County, Sweden. Moreover, the children/adolescents and their parents responded to a questionnaire, obtaining among other things: self-reported screen time, physical activity, sleep and health-related quality of life.ResultsA total of 121 children and adolescents (mean age: 12.1 ± 1.5) were included in the study. Objectively measured smartphone screen time was 161.2 ± 81.1 min/day. Mean physical activity, measured with the SCRIIN activity tracker, was 32.6 ± 16.5 active min/day. Minutes of screen time and physical activity did not differ between the children and adolescents from the two schools, despite located in different socioeconomic areas. Further, we found no association between smartphone screen time and physical activity. However, girls aged 14–15 years, had more smartphone screen time (p<0.01) and were significantly more physically active (p<0.01) than girls aged 10–12 years. In addition, boys reported more than five times more time spent on computer and video games than girls did.ConclusionSmartphone screen time was not associated with physical activity level among children and adolescents aged 10–15 years.

The impact of summer vacation on children\u2019s obesogenic behaviors and body mass index: a natural experiment

BackgroundChildren’s BMI gain accelerates during summer. The Structured Days Hypothesis posits that the lack of the school day during summer vacation negatively impacts children’s obesogenic behaviors (i.e., physical activity, screen time, diet, sleep). This natural experiment examined the impact of summer vacation on children’s obesogenic behaviors and body mass index (BMI).MethodsElementary-aged children (n = 285, 5-12 years, 48.7% male, 57.4% African American) attending a year-round (n = 97) and two match-paired traditional schools (n = 188) in the United States participated in this study. Rather than taking a long break from school during the summer like traditional schools, year-round schools take shorter and more frequent breaks from school. This difference in school calendars allowed for obesogenic behaviors to be collected during three conditions: Condition 1) all children attend school, Condition 2) year-round children attend school while traditional children were on summer vacation, and Condition 3) summer vacation for all children. Changes in BMI z-score were collected for the corresponding school years and summers. Multi-level mixed effects regressions estimated obesogenic behaviors and monthly zBMI changes. It was hypothesized that children would experience unhealthy changes in obesogenic behaviors when entering summer vacation because the absence of the school day (i.e., Condition 1 vs. 2 for traditional school children and 2 vs. 3 for year-round school children).ResultsFrom Condition 1 to 2 traditional school children experienced greater unhealthy changes in daily minutes sedentary (∆ = 24.2, 95CI = 10.2, 38.2), screen time minutes (∆ = 33.7, 95CI = 17.2, 50.3), sleep midpoint time (∆ = 73:43, 95CI = 65:33, 81:53), and sleep efficiency percentage (−∆ = 0.7, 95CI = -1.1, − 0.3) when compared to year-round school children. Alternatively, from Condition 2 to 3 year-round school children experienced greater unhealthy changes in daily minutes sedentary (∆ = 54.5, 95CI = 38.0, 70.9), light physical activity minutes (∆ = − 42.2, 95CI = -56.2, − 28.3) MVPA minutes (∆ = − 11.4, 95CI = -3.7, − 19.1), screen time minutes (∆ = 46.5, 95CI = 30.0, 63.0), and sleep midpoint time (∆ = 95:54, 95CI = 85:26, 106:22) when compared to traditional school children. Monthly zBMI gain accelerated during summer for traditional (∆ = 0.033 95CI = 0.019, 0.047) but not year-round school children (∆ = 0.004, 95CI = -0.014, 0.023).ConclusionsThis study suggests that the lack of the school day during summer vacation negatively impacts sedentary behaviors, sleep timing, and screen time. Changes in sedentary behaviors, screen time, and sleep midpoint may contribute to accelerated summer BMI gain. Providing structured programming during summer vacation may positively impact these behaviors, and in turn, mitigate accelerated summer BMI gain.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03397940. Registered January 12th 2018.

Sibship, physical activity, and sedentary behavior: a longitudinal, observational study among Mexican-heritage sibling dyads

BackgroundShared genetic and environmental factors suggest that family relationships are important predictors of obesity-related behaviors, yet little is known about how siblings influence physical activity and sedentary behaviors. This study examined physical activity and sedentary behavior between sibling dyads across summer and fall time points and determined if birth order and gender modify the relationship between sibling behaviors.MethodsMexican-heritage families residing in colonias along the United States-Mexico border were recruited using promotoras de salud to participate in summer and school year surveys. Eighty-seven sibling dyads had complete data for the physical activity sub-study: 21 older brother-younger brother, 21 older brother-younger sister, 23 older sister-younger brother, and 22 older sister-younger sister dyads. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were measured using a validated 7-day recall instrument to create summary measures of weekly active, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) metabolic equivalents (MET), sitting, and screen time minutes. We used linear regression analyses to examine changes over time and the association between older and younger sibling behavior.ResultsDuring summer, older siblings (mean age = 11.2 years) reported 1069 active minutes and 1244 sitting minutes per week; younger siblings (mean age = 8.3 years) reported 1201 active minutes and 1368 sitting minutes per week. Younger brothers reported fewer active minutes (mean = − 459.6; p = 0.01) and fewer MVPA MET-minutes (mean = − 2261.7; p = 0.02) of physical activity during the fall. Within all 87 dyads, older sibling physical activity was significantly associated with younger sibling active minutes (B = 0.45;p = 0.004) and MET-minutes (B = 0.45;p = 0.003) during summer but not fall; older sibling sedentary behavior was significantly associated with younger sibling sitting (B = 0.23;p = 0.01) and screen time minutes (B = 0.23;p = 0.004) during fall but not summer. After stratifying by gender dyad groups, younger brother behavior was strongly associated with older brother behavior at both time points.ConclusionYounger siblings appear to emulate the physical activity behaviors of their older siblings during non-school summer months and sedentary behaviors of older siblings during school-time fall months, especially older brother-younger brother dyads. Family-based interventions to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary behavior are growing in popularity, but more work is needed to understand the role of sibling influences.

The association between problematic smartphone use, depression and anxiety symptom severity, and objectively measured smartphone use over one week

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is associated with several types of psychopathology, such as depression and anxiety severity. However, the majority of studies reporting these associations have not used objective smartphone use data and/or repeated-measures study design. Our aim was to investigate how self-reported levels of PSU, depression, anxiety, and daily depressive mood relate to objectively measured smartphone use over one week. We assessed objective smartphone use by daily minutes of screen time and number of phone screen unlocks. One hundred and one undergraduate university students participated. Bivariate correlations and latent growth curve analyses showed that PSU severity related to screen time minutes, but not to phone screen unlocking. Depression and anxiety severity were not related to screen time minutes, but negatively correlated with frequency of phone screen unlocking. Additionally, daily depressive mood items did not, in general, predict objective smartphone use for the corresponding day. However, average daily depressive mood over one week positively correlated with PSU levels. These findings and their implications are discussed.

Physical Activity of Mexican-Heritage Youth During the Summer and School-Year: The Role of Parenting Strategies.

Mexican-heritage youth living along the U.S.-Mexico border have higher rates of obesity than non-Hispanic Whites. Parenting strategies may influence youth physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SB) mitigating these obesity rates; however, parenting strategies have not been well examined in Hispanic cultures. Therefore, we examined relationships between parenting strategies and PA and SB of Mexican-heritage youth. Mother-child dyads (n = 121 dyads) were surveyed during the summer and school-year. Quantile regression estimated relationships between parenting strategies, and PA and SB. Summer. Reinforcement was negatively associated with moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) among more active youth (β = -364.4); limit setting was negatively associated with SB among less sedentary youth (β = -23.3); and use of discipline was negatively associated with sedentary screen time in youth reporting less screen use (β = -3.2). School-year. Males reported more MVPA (773.9min/week) than females (738.7min/week). Reinforcement was positively associated with weekly MVPA among more active youth (β = 173.6), fewer sedentary minutes/week among all youth, and fewer sedentary screen time minutes among less sedentary youth (β = -6.4). Parenting strategies are related with PA and SB. Investigators should focus on identifying modifiable parenting strategies to address the various needs presented during summertime and school-year for Mexican-heritage youth.

Associations among physical activity, screen time, and sleep in low socioeconomic status urban girls.

Insufficient sleep is associated with higher risk of poor health outcomes in low socioeconomic status (SES) urban elementary age girls. Decreased physical activity (PA) and increased screen time may be associated with poor sleep. This study examined if PA and screen time are associated with sleep in girls from a low SES urban community. Baseline data from 7 to 12 year-old girls (n = 55) from two interventions conducted in Springfield, MA between 2012 and 2015 were used. PA was measured via accelerometry for seven days. Screen time and sleep were assessed via validated questionnaires. Sleep was also assessed via accelerometry in a subsample of girls (n = 24) for 7 days. Associations among PA, screen time, and sleep were analyzed using multiple linear regression. More minutes of screen time per day (p = 0.01, r2 = 0.35, r2 adjusted = 0.23) was associated with worse sleep quality (β = 0.50, p = 0.02). There were negative correlations between PA and the number of awakenings per night (r = − 0.45, p = 0.04) and between counts per minute and sleep fragmentation (r = − 0.65, p = 0.002) assessed by accelerometer. In this population, increased screen time was associated with worse sleep quality and decreased PA was correlated with more awakenings per night and higher sleep fragmentation. These findings suggest that screen time and PA may be modifiable risk factors for interventions seeking to improve sleep in this population.

One-Year Efficacy Testing of Enabling Mothers to Prevent Pediatric Obesity Through Web-Based Education and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) Randomized Control Trial.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Enabling Mothers to Prevent Pediatric Obesity through Web-Based Education and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) intervention at 1-year, postintervention follow-up. A mixed between-within subjects design was used to evaluate the trial. Independent variables included a two-level, group assignment: EMPOWER (experimental intervention) based on social cognitive theory (SCT) as well as a knowledge-based intervention Healthy Lifestyles (active control intervention). Dependent variables were evaluated across four levels of time: baseline (Week 0), posttest (Week 4), 1-month follow-up (Week 8), and 1-year follow-up (Week 60). Dependent variables included five maternal-facilitated SCT constructs (environment, emotional coping, expectations, self-control, and self-efficacy) as well as four child behaviors (minutes of child physical activity, cups of fruits and vegetables consumed, 8-ounce glasses of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed, and minutes of screen time). Null hypotheses implied no significant group-by-time interactions for the dependent variables under investigation. A significant group-by-time interaction for child fruit and vegetable consumption was found in the experimental group (p = .012) relative to the control group. At 1 year, results suggested an overall increase of 1.847 cups of fruits and vegetables (95% confidence interval = 1.207-2.498) in the experimental group (p < .001). Analysis suggested changes in the maternal-facilitated home environment accounted for 13.3% of the variance in the change in child fruit and vegetable consumption. Improvements in child physical activity, sugar-free beverage intake, and screen time first detected at 1-month follow-up in both groups were no longer significant at 1-year follow-up. An online family-and-home-based intervention was efficacious for improving child fruit and vegetable consumption. Follow-up booster sessions may assist in maintaining treatment effects.

Sentimentalizing Daisy for the Screen

Copyright © 2014 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA Daisy Buchanan is one of the most enigmatic characters in American literature. Many first-time readers of The Great Gatsby are frustrated by Nick’s account of Daisy and wonder why Gatsby would risk so much for such a woman. However, they miss the point. Daisy represents something indefinable—an idealized love. As Roger Lewis says in “Money, Love, and Aspiration in The Great Gatsby,” “the love becomes more important than the object of it” (49). Daisy herself is not his goal. Gatsby’s goal is to keep hold of the love that she once inspired, the memory of her, which is colored by his idealization of her. This nostalgic longing for a feeling rooted in the past is sentimentality at a profound level. In fact, at the end of chapter 6, Nick listens to Gatsby recount his first kiss with Daisy and describes Gatsby’s words as “appalling sentimentality” (Gatsby 111). Daisy’s effect on Gatsby is perhaps the biggest paradox of the novel. Based on her actions, it is difficult to gauge how she exerts a hold on Gatsby. Nick comes closest when describing her voice, which, Gatsby later notes, is “full of money” (120): “When the melody rose, her voice broke up sweetly, following it, in a way contralto voices have, and each change tipped out a little of her warm human magic upon the air” (108). Daisy’s “magic” is hard to define, and Nick seems to catch glimmers of it; but he is always at the periphery, unable to tell exactly what Gatsby sees in her. Especially after the car accident, Nick is amazed that Gatsby endangers himself by staying when he is, in Nick’s words, “worth the whole damn bunch put together” (154). Film producers are uncomfortable with ambiguity, however. In general, all the film versions of Fitzgerald’s novel have followed a predictable route. Their marketing campaigns claim that they have tried to evoke the spirit of the novel, yet they boost the sentimentality of the story with great deliberation, pushing the use of pathos far beyond what Fitzgerald would have sanctioned. Most egregiously, producers and filmmakers try to make Daisy a more sympathetic character by changing her storyline. For Fitzgerald readers, this change in Daisy’s character is a continual disappointment. There have been five big-budget, filmed adaptations of The Great Gatsby: 1926, 1949, 1974, a 2000 television production, Sentimentalizing Daisy for the Screen

Sentimentalizing Daisy for the Screen

Sentimentalizing Daisy for the Screen

ICook 4‐H: Report of the correlation between the Block Kids Physical Activity Screener and accelerometer‐derived physical activity in 9‐10 year old children (LB460)

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the Block Kids Physical Activity Screener ( BKPAS) and accelerometer derived physical activity in 9‐10 year old children participating in iCook 4‐H, a 5‐state, family‐centered, childhood obesity intervention.METHODS: A cross‐sectional study was conducted in 116 children who met accelerometer compliance standards and completed the BKPAS. Moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) were measured by accelerometry and the BKPAS. Children wore an accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+) for 7 consecutive days and completed a computerized parent‐assisted BKPAS. Mean daily minutes of accelerometer derived MVPA and ST were evaluated during waking hours (7a‐9p). In the BKPAS, average MVPA and screen time minutes per day were calculated from questions that queried frequency and duration from the previous 7 days. Relationships between accelerometry and the BKPAS were assessed via Spearman Correlation Coefficient. Statistical significance was set at p 蠄 0.05. RESULTS: Accelerometer derived MVPA was significantly correlated with the BKPAS (r= 0.26, P = 0.01), but no association was found for ST (r = 0.13, P = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: Results are positive for the self‐reported BKPAS and validation work is continuing, specifically for ST.Grant Funding Source: USDA‐AFRI grant #2012‐68001‐19605 and respective state Agricultural Experiment Stations.

Office-Based Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Screen Time in Preschool Children

To determine if an intervention for preschool-aged children in primary care is effective in reducing screen time, meals in front of the television, and BMI. A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a primary care pediatric group practice in Toronto, Canada. Three-year-old children and their parents were randomly assigned to receive a short behavioral counseling intervention on strategies to decrease screen time. The primary outcome 1 year later was parent reported screen time. Secondary outcomes included television in the child's bedroom, number of meals in front of the television, and BMI. In the intention-to-treat analysis at 1 year, there were no significant differences in mean total weekday minutes of screen time (60, interquartile range [IQR]: 35-120 vs 65, IQR: 35-120; P = .68) or mean total weekend day minutes of screen time (80, IQR: 45-130 vs 90, IQR: 60-120; P = .33) between the intervention and control group. Adjusting for baseline BMI, there was a reduction in the number of weekday meals in front of the television (1.6 ± 1.0 vs 1.9 ± 1.2; P = .03) but no differences in BMI or number of televisions in the bedroom. This pragmatic trial was not effective in reducing screen time or BMI but was effective in reducing meals in front of the screen. Short interventions focused solely on reducing screen time implemented in the primary care practice setting may not be effective in this age group.

Physical activity for the prevention and management of youth-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus: focus on cardiovascular complications

With the growing prevalence of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in youth, the challenge of cardiovascular disease risk management has entered the paediatric realm, affecting specialists, family physicians and allied healthcare professionals alike. Currently, there is little evidence to support optimal strategies for management of T2DM in youth and the associated cardiovascular complications. Physical activity plays a powerful role in the prevention and management of T2DM and cardiovascular disease in adults. This review will focus on the role of physical activity for the prevention of T2DM in youth and its associated cardiovascular complications. The first part describes the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in this cohort. The second part focuses on the role of physical activity in the prevention and management of T2DM in youth. Collectively, the limited intervention and observation studies published to date suggest that daily targets of 60-90 minutes of physical activity and less than 60 minutes of screen time (i.e. time spent in front of a television, computer or video games) are required for the prevention and management of T2DM in youth. Large-scale intervention studies are needed to determine the most effective physical activity strategies for the prevention and management of T2DM in youth.

Heading off a Problem

As a movie-going scientist, I like to watch out for the science in science fiction films. I find that usually this doesn’t detract much from watching most science fiction films, in that scientific explanations rarely occupy more than a couple of sentences in the script. Particularly in insectrelated science fiction films, it’s usually a simple matter to identify the entomological errors in the statements made by the supposedly knowledgeable characters in the film, as, for example, when Dr. Gates, Dr. Susan Tyler’s entomologist mentor in the film Mimic (1997), expounds on the “kind of simplicity that governs the Phylum Insecta.” But I have to confess that I was taken aback by a plot development in the sequel to Mimic, Mimic 2: Hardshell, which presented a challenge to my entomological expertise. Mimic, described by critic Roger Ebert as “a loyal occupant of its genre” (http://www.suntimes.com/ ebert/ebert_reviews/1997/08/082212.html), recounts how genetically engineered cockroaches in the subways of New York evolve to resemble humans and prey on them; in Mimic 2, the so-called “Judas Breed” cockroaches are back, and they seem to be selectively killing only those men that Remi Panos, the entomologist/schoolteacher who had only about 10 minutes of screen time in the first film, goes out with. Setting aside the myriad other improbabilities associated with human-sized man-eating cockroaches as well as the real-life relationship problems of female entomologists, the plot device that caused me greatest consternation was the plan concocted by Detective Klaski to dispatch the Judas Breed human-like cockroach by decapitating it with a paper cutter. Fortunately for single men in New York City, Remi knows that “you can’t even make a scratch unless it’s in molt....Besides, you know what happens when you take the head off a cockroach?...It dies, about nine days from now, when it finally starves to death.” To make a long story short, the Judas Breed is eventually decapitated with a pair of oversize scissors, leaving Remi and a surviving male character (who undoubtedly owes his good fortune to the fact that he’s too young to be her boyfriend) trapped in her apartment while the dying Judas Breed blocks the exit for eight more days. It’s always a little annoying to feel inferior to movie entomologists, so it was disconcerting to realize that I couldn’t belittle the office-supply-based integrated pest management plan that had been implemented because I didn’t know how long cockroaches can live without their heads. A search through the available literature reveals a remarkable dearth of longevity studies on decapitated cockroaches. This is not to say there is a dearth of studies on decapitated cockroaches. In fact, it’s alarming how many studies do involve decapitation in general; a search of the 1983–2004 Current