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Secular trends in parent-reported television viewing among children in the United States, 2001-2012

P D Loprinzi1, R E Davis1

  • 1Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.

Child: Care, Health and Development
|December 1, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Parent-reported television (TV) viewing decreased significantly for preschoolers and children between 2001 and 2012. Despite this trend, many children still exceed recommended daily TV limits.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Media Consumption Studies
  • Public Health Surveillance

Background:

  • Television (TV) viewing habits in early childhood are linked to developmental outcomes.
  • Understanding trends in children's screen time is crucial for public health initiatives.
  • Previous research indicated high TV viewing rates among young children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze trends in parent-reported television (TV) viewing among preschoolers (ages 2-5) and children (ages 6-11).
  • To examine changes in TV viewing patterns from 2001 to 2012.
  • To identify demographic variations in TV viewing trends.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 2001-2012.
  • Analyzed parent proxy reports of TV viewing for 5724 preschoolers and 7104 children.
  • Assessed TV viewing across six 2-year cycles.

Main Results:

  • Significant decreases in mean TV viewing were observed for preschoolers across most demographic groups.
  • Non-Hispanic white boys showed the largest decrease in TV viewing (29%).
  • While children also showed a decreasing trend, it was less pronounced than in preschoolers. The proportion of preschoolers watching <2 hours of TV daily increased significantly over time.

Conclusions:

  • A statistically significant decline in mean TV viewing was evident for both preschoolers and children from 2001 to 2012.
  • Despite the decrease, a substantial percentage of parents reported their children watching 2 or more hours of TV daily.
  • Continued monitoring of children's screen time is warranted.
Abstract

Keywords:
NHANESepidemiologysedentary behaviour

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