TV watching and computer use in U.S. youth aged 12-15, 2012

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey, 2012. Nearly all (98.5%) youth aged 12-15 reported watching TV daily. More than 9 in 10 (91.1%) youth aged 12-15 reported using the computer daily outside of school. In 2012, 27.0% of youth aged 12-15 had 2 hours or less of TV plus computer use daily. Among youth aged 12-15, girls (80.4%) were more likely to use the computer 2 hours or less daily when compared with boys (69.4%). Fewer non-Hispanic black youth aged 12-15 (53.4%) reported watching 2 hours or less of TV daily than non-Hispanic white (65.8%) and Hispanic (68.7%) youth. Excessive screen-time behaviors, such as using a computer and watching TV, for more than 2 hours daily have been linked with elevated blood pressure, elevated serum cholesterol, and being overweight or obese among youth (1-3). Additionally, screen-time behavior established in adolescence has been shown to track into adulthood (4). The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-supported Expert Panel and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that children limit leisure screen time to 2 hours or less daily (5,6). This report presents national estimates of TV watching and computer use outside of the school day.