Bottom Line: The use of electronic media, such as watching television, using computers and playing electronic games, was associated with poorer well-being in children.
Author: Trina Hinkley, Ph.D., of Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues.
Background: Using electronic media can be a sedentary behavior and sedentary behavior is associated with adverse health outcomes and may be detrimental at a very young age.
How the Study Was Conducted: The authors used data from the European Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-Induced Health Effects in Children and Infants (IDEFICS) study to examine the association of using electronic media between ages 2 and 6 years and the well-being of children two years later. Questionnaires were used to measure six indicators of well-being, including emotional and peer problems, self-esteem, emotional well-being, family functioning and social networks.
Results: Among 3,604 children, electronic media use appeared to be associated with poorer well-being. Watching television appeared to be associated with poorer outcomes more than playing electronic games or using computers. The risk of emotional problems and poorer family functioning increased with each additional hour of watching TV or electronic game and computer use.
Discussion: "Higher levels of early childhood electronic media use are associated with children being at risk for poorer outcomes with some indicators of well-being. … Further research is required to identify potential mechanisms of this association."
(JAMA Pediatr. Published online March 17, 2014. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.94. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)
Editor's Note: The authors made funding/support disclosures. Please see article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, etc.
Study Examines Monitoring of TV, Video Games With BMI
Bottom Line: More maternal monitoring of the time children spend watching TV or playing video games appears to be associated with lower body mass index (BMI).
Author: Stacey S. Tiberio, Ph.D., of the Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, and colleagues.
Background: Children's media consumption (time spent in front of TVs and computers) is associated with childhood obesity. However, parental influences, such as media monitoring, have not been effectively studied.
How the Study Was Conducted: The authors examined the potential association of parental monitoring of their children's exposure to media and general activities with the children's BMI in an analysis that included 112 mothers, 103 fathers and their 213 children at age 5, 7 and/or 9 years.
Results: Less monitoring by mothers of the time their children spent watching TV or playing video games appears to be associated with higher BMI for children at age 7 and increasing deviance from child BMI norms between the ages of 5 to 9 years. The finding was not evident for paternal monitoring.
Discussion: "Low maternal media monitoring does not seem to reflect more general parent disengagement or lack of awareness regarding children's behaviors and whereabouts. The association between lower maternal media monitoring and higher child BMI was primarily explained by a tendency for these children to spend more hours per week watching television and playing video games. This supports the validity of our interpretation that child media time has direct effects on BMI, is under substantial control by parents, and therefore is a prime target for family intervention."
(JAMA Pediatr. Published online March 17, 2014. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.5483. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)
Editor's Note: The authors disclosed a variety of funding/support sources. Please see article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, etc.
Editor's Note: Two studies examine electronic media use by children.
Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author (study No. 1) Stefaan De Henauw, Ph.D., email stefaan.dehenauw@ugent.be. To contact corresponding author (study No. 2) Paulina Nowicka, Ph.D., email paulina.nowicka@ki.se.
Journal
JAMA Pediatrics