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Screen-based sedentary behavior and associations with functional strength in 6-15 year-old children in the United
Lisa R Edelson1, Kevin C Mathias2, Victor L Fulgoni3
1Nestlé Research Center, Case Postale 44, CH-1000, Lausanne, Switzerland. Lisarobin.edelson@rdls.nestle.com.
Insights
Television viewing time is linked to lower physical strength in children, while computer use shows no significant association. Reducing TV time may improve children's strength and mobility.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Exercise Science
- Media Studies
Background:
- Childhood physical strength is crucial for health and mobility.
- Heavier children often exhibit reduced functional strength.
- The impact of electronic media use on children's strength is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between screen-based sedentary behaviors and physical strength in children.
- To differentiate the effects of television viewing versus computer/video game use on strength measures.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey (NNYFS) for children aged 6-15.
- Regression models assessed screen time (TV, computer/video games) against strength measures (grip, leg extensions, pull-ups, plank).
- Controlled for confounders: age, sex, BMI z-score, and physical activity levels.
Main Results:
- Television viewing time showed a significant inverse association with all measured strength outcomes.
- Computer/video game time was only inversely associated with the ability to perform modified pull-ups.
Conclusions:
- Television viewing, unlike computer use, is inversely related to children's physical strength.
- Screen time is not a uniform factor; specific media types have differential effects.
- Reducing television exposure may benefit children's strength and mobility.
Background:
Physical strength is associated with improved health outcomes in children. Heavier children tend to have lower functional strength and mobility. Physical activity can increase children's strength, but it is unknown how different types of electronic media use impact physical strength.
Methods:
Data from the NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey (NNYFS) from children ages 6-15 were analyzed in this study. Regression models were conducted to determine if screen-based sedentary behaviors (television viewing time, computer/video game time) were associated with strength measures (grip, leg extensions, modified pull-ups, plank) while controlling for potential confounders including child age, sex, BMI z-score, and days per week with 60+ minutes of physical activity. Grip strength and leg extensions divided by body weight were analyzed to provide measures of relative strength together with pull-ups and plank, which require lifting the body.
Results:
The results from the regression models showed the hypothesized inverse association between TV time and all strength measures. Computer time was only significantly inversely associated with the ability to do one or more pull-ups.
Conclusions:
This study shows that television viewing, but not computer/videogames, is inversely associated with measures of child strength while controlling for child characteristics and physical activity. These findings suggest that "screen time" may not be a unified construct with respect to strength outcomes and that further exploration of the potential benefits of reducing television time on children's strength and related mobility is needed.
