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Effect of television viewing on pediatric obesity
Guan-Sheng Ma1, Yan-Ping Li, Xiao-Qi Hu
1Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China. mgs@public.bta.net.cn
Insights
Increased television viewing time is linked to a higher risk of pediatric obesity in urban China. This study highlights television viewing as an independent risk factor for childhood obesity.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing global concern.
- Understanding environmental factors influencing pediatric obesity is crucial for effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between television viewing habits and the prevalence of obesity among children in urban China.
Main Methods:
- A stratified multistage cluster random sampling method was employed.
- Data were collected via questionnaire surveys from 9,356 children and their parents.
- Standardized measurements of children's height and weight were conducted by trained personnel.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of obesity increased with greater daily television viewing durations.
- Children watching over 3 hours of television daily had a 15.1% obesity rate.
- Each additional hour of television viewing correlated with a 1%-2% rise in obesity prevalence.
Conclusions:
- Television viewing time is directly associated with an increased risk of pediatric obesity.
- Television viewing is identified as an independent risk factor for childhood obesity in this population.
Objective:
To test the effect of television viewing on pediatric obesity in urban China.
Methods:
Stratified multistage cluster random sampling method was used for subjects selection. Nine thousand three hundred and fifty-six children, as well as their parents, were investigated. Questionnaire survey was used for data collection. Children's weights and heights were measured in the clinic of the investigated kindergartens or schools by trained investigators following the standardized procedure.
Results:
The percentages of children and adolescents who watched television less than 1 h, 1-2 h, 2-3 h and more than 3 h daily were 32.5%, 46.0%, 15.4% and 6.1%, respectively, while the prevalence of obesity was 10.9%, 11.8%, 13.2% and 15.1%, respectively. Each hourly increment of television viewing was associated with 1%-2% increase in the prevalence of obesity.
Conclusions:
Time spent watching television is directly related to an increase risk of obesity, television viewing time is an independent factor for pediatric obesity.