Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026
Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Television, computer use, physical activity, diet and fatness in Australian adolescents
Valerie Burke1, Lawrie J Beilin, Kevin Durkin
1University of Western Australia, School of Medicine & Pharmacology, Royal Perth Hospital Unit. vburke@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Purpose:
To examine sedentary behaviours (including television viewing, playing computer games and computer use), diet, exercise and fitness in relation to overweight/obesity in Australian adolescents.
Methods:
Questionnaires elicited food frequency data, time spent in TV-viewing, using computers, other sedentary occupations and physical activity recall. Weight, height and fitness (laps completed in the Leger test) were measured.
Results:
Among 281 boys and 321 girls, mean age 12 years (SD 0.9), 56 boys (20.0%) and 70 girls (23.3%) were overweight/obese. Greater fitness was associated with decreased risk of overweight/obesity in boys (Odds ratio [OR] 0.74; 95% CI 0.55, 0.99) and girls (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.91, 0.99). TV-viewing predicted increased risk in boys (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01, 1.06) and decreased risk in girls (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.96, 0.99). Computer use, video games, and other sedentary behaviours were not significantly related to risk of overweight/obesity. Vegetable intake was associated with lower risk in boys (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97, 0.99); greater risk was associated with lower fat intake in boys and girls, lower consumption of energy-dense snacks in boys (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.62, 0.88) and greater intake of vegetables in girls (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00, 1.03), suggesting dieting or knowledge of favourable dietary choices in overweight/obese children.
Conclusions:
Among these adolescents, fitness was negatively related to risk for overweight/obesity in boys and girls. TV-viewing was a positive predictor in boys and a negative predictor in girls but the effect size was small; other sedentary behaviours did not predict risk.
